US National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby said that Russia intends to announce "referendums" in the occupied territories of Ukraine by the end of this week.
AFP and CNN report Kirbyʼs statement.
According to Kirby, the Russian leadership gave a corresponding instruction to the occupation administrations and their leaders. Pseudo-referendums are planned to be announced in the captured parts of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
The USA understands that the Russian Federation will falsify the results it needs and declare the alleged choice of the Ukrainian people to join Russia. The USA will not recognize the results of these "referendums".
- In July, the media reported that Russia was in a hurry to hold "referendums" on the annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine by September 15, so that Putin could then annex them to Russia.
- Meduza wrote that due to the failures of the Russian troops and the inability to seize the entire Donetsk region, the "referendums" are ready to be postponed until the winter.