Why wouldn’t they vote to join Russia? Their own country has been shelling and bombing them for almost 9 years, cut off much of their infrastructure, and indeed shelled civilian Marketplace yesterday (killing 13, 2 children) and today.
Russia has restored their pensions, their freedom to speak Russian,to read and view Russian media.
It is absurd to see them as not wanting to join Russia - truly, no matter who you support in the Russian NATO war.
It’s interesting how little the so called West cares about what these two regions actually want. They voted for independence before Russia actually went in. Curious, is the policy of the West that these two region must remain in Ukraine regardless what they want? It’s funny how little anyone actually cares about self rule. Name me a nation, who would tomorrow, allow a province to vote to become an independent country. Doesn’t that say something?