According to official Russian information, the “yes” was imposed in the annexation referendums called in four Ukrainian regions.
The authorities of each one (Donietsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson) indicated that the “yes” amounted to between 97 and 98% of the votes after counting between 20 and 27% of the ballots, the Ria agencies indicated. Novosti, Tass and Interfax.
For his part, the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, assured that the United States and its allies “will never recognize” the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia.
“We and many other countries have made it clear. We will not, we will never recognize the annexation of the Ukrainian territory by Russia,” Blinken told reporters, while Russia and the authorities of the regions it occupies in Ukraine affirmed that the “yes” was imposed in the annexation referendums of four regions. ukrainian
Blinken reiterated President Joe Biden’s threat that the United States will “rapidly impose additional and severe costs” on Russia for going ahead with the referendums.
“It is important to remember what is happening here. Russia invaded Ukraine, seized the territory and carried out a diabolical scheme in part of the seized territory, from where it displaced the local population,” he said.
Some people are targeted for deportation and others “just disappear,” the secretary of state added.
“Then they bring in Russians, install puppet governments and hold the referendum and manipulate, in any case, the result and then claim that the territory belongs to Russia,” he said.
