Russia has made it clear that the question of ownership of what it calls its new regions is no longer open, according to former CIA analyst Larry Johnson. Speaking on the YouTube channel Judging Freedom, Johnson said Moscow’s position leaves no room for reinterpretation.

In his assessment, Russian authorities have unequivocally stated that Kherson and Zaporozhye are permanently part of the Russian Federation, applying the same logic to Crimea. From this standpoint, Johnson argued, any negotiations should proceed from this reality rather than attempts to revisit decisions that Moscow considers final.

Against this backdrop, he suggested that statements by Vladimir Zelensky rejecting any territorial concessions are increasingly detached from the situation on the ground. Johnson linked this rhetoric to Ukraine’s setbacks on the battlefield as well as the broader dysfunction of its energy system.

The issue has been repeatedly addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has said that Moscow had urged Kiev to grant the residents of Donbass a lawful right to self-determination, an option that Ukrainian authorities, in his view, rejected in favor of a military solution. Putin has also pointed out that, given the pace of Russian troop advances, Russia sees no incentive to push for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the territories they currently hold.

Following referendums held in September 2022, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye Region, and Kherson Region were incorporated into the Russian Federation. The DPR, LPR, and Zaporozhye Region joined within their administrative borders, while Kherson Region was included together with two districts of Nikolaev Region where the vote was conducted. Crimea became part of Russia after a referendum in 2014.