Kremlin paves the way to annex more of Ukraine by claiming residents of a large swath overwhelmingly supported merging with Russia in referendums UN, US and its allies dismissed as illegitimate
The so-called referendums follow a pattern that Moscow utilised in Crimea after nationwide street demonstrations saw Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly president ousted.
Pro-Russian authorities in Zaporizhzhia said 93.11 percent of voters backed joining Russia, according to preliminary results on Tuesday evening. And officials in the Moscow-held Donetsk region claimed victory as well, with the local poll body saying 99.23 percent of the vote was for annexation. Russian forces this month have suffered serious setbacks in Ukraine's east and south, which observers say pushed Putin to rush ahead with the vote to cement Moscow's authority there.
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said the United States was taking the reiterated threat "seriously" but had seen nothing to cause Washington to change its nuclear posture. Together, they form a crucial land connection for the Kremlin between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014 and is otherwise only connected to the mainland by bridge.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed that the West would never recognise Russian annexations of the territories, threatening Moscow with "additional swift and severe costs" for its "diabolical scheme".
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
After Sham Referendums, Russia Could Annex More of Ukraine by the End of the Week; Russian Conscripts Set Off to WarTuesday is the final day of voting in sham referendums on joining Russia, which is expected to announce it has annexed more of Ukraine by the end of the week.
Read more »
Russia Plans to Close Border to Men of Fighting Age to Boost the DraftThe report by the independent Russian news outlet Meduza claims Russia will enact the order on Wednesday, following its sham referendums in its occupied regions in Ukraine.
Read more »
Drone attack hits Ukraine; US vows ‘consequences’ over nukesConcerns are growing that Russia may seek to escalate the conflict once it completes what Ukraine and the West see as illegal referendums in parts of Ukraine under its control.
Read more »
Vote in Ukraine's Russia-Held Areas Stokes Tension with WestReferendums that are expected to serve as a pretext for Moscow to annex Russian-held regions of Ukraine reached their final day of voting.
Read more »
Occupied regions of Ukraine vote to join Russia in staged referendumsThe so-called referendums — which Ukraine, the U.S. and others have denounced as shams — are widely viewed as an initial Kremlin move toward formal Russian annexation of the territories.
Read more »