Russia to formally annex four more areas of Ukraine after 'sham' referendum
There were echoes of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which also followed a discredited referendum and was heralded by a presidential victory speech from a stage.
FollowRussian President Vladimir Putin's government will on Friday hold a signing ceremony formally annexing four more areas of Ukraine after self-styled referendums condemned by Ukraine and the West as a sham.
Earlier, the Russian-backed officials had claimed the five-day exercise secured almost total popular support. The so-called votes were held in Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south.
Also read: 'Don't travel states bordering Pakistan': Canada issues bizarre travel advisory for its citizens
The Russian president will make a major speech at the Kremlin.
A stage has already been set up in Moscow's Red Square, with billboards proclaiming the four regions as part of Russia. There were echoes of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which also followed a discredited referendum and was heralded by a presidential victory speech from a stage.
It is reportedly said that no independent monitoring of the process took place and there were accounts of election officials going from door to door escorted by soldiers.
Meanwhile, the United States said it will impose sanctions on Russia because of the referendums and EU member states are considering an eighth round of measures.
On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that people in occupied regions of Ukraine had been taken from their homes and workplaces by threat and sometimes at gunpoint. "This is the opposite of free and fair elections. And this is the opposite of peace, it is a dictated peace," she said.
