The pro-Russian authorities of the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia, Kherson, Luhansk and Donetsk claimed, Tuesday, September 27, the victory of the “yes” in favor of annexation by Russia, during the annexation referendums organized by Moscow and denounced by kyiv and its Western backers. The next step is for the Russian Parliament, which is supposed to vote in the coming days on a treaty formalizing the integration of the four regions into Russian territory. In the wake of this parliamentary process, President Vladimir Putin could make a speech as early as September 30 to formally announce the annexation of Ukrainian territories, according to Russian agencies. Follow our live.
The Ukrainian president promises to act “to protect” his people. In reaction to the announcement of the results, Volodymyr Zelensky assured on Tuesday evening in a video posted on Telegram that Ukraine would act “to defend its people”, “both in the Kherson region, in the Zaporizhia region, in the Donbass, and also in the currently occupied areas of the Kharkiv region and in the Crimea”. Speaking earlier Tuesday in a recorded message to the UN Security Council, the Ukrainian president said kyiv could not hold talks with Moscow after these “pseudo-referendums”.
High scores. The Zaporizhia region electoral commission said that 93.11% of voters had voted to join Russia, after counting 100% of the ballots. In the Kherson region, they are 87.05%, according to the pro-Moscow occupation administration. Shortly after, the Luhansk region also announced the victory of the “yes”. On Tuesday evening, the pro-Russian authorities in the Donetsk region did the same.
Results that will “never” be recognized. The allies of Ukraine have denounced these elections, organized in an emergency in the face of the progress of the forces of kyiv. The G7 promised not to “never recognize” the results. The head of the American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, repeated that the United States and its allies would retaliate with new and “severe” sanctions against Russia, in the face of these annexations which he described as“diabolical deed”.