Annexation votes in Ukraine: announced victory of the "yes", a "masquerade" according to Paris
Voting in Donetsk, Donbass, September 27, 2022. AP
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The Russian electoral commission announced on Tuesday that the "yes" vote prevailed in the "referendums" of annexation, according to preliminary results relating to the polling stations in Russian territory, a vote strongly decried by the international community.
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The Russian electoral commission did not wait for the closing of all the polling stations to announce that the "yes" vote was largely winning in the annexation referendums.
After counting 20 to 27% of the ballots in the polling stations in Russia, and as counting began in the Ukrainian regions under Moscow's control, the "yes" received between 97 and 98% of the votes.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians came to Russia to escape the fighting in Ukraine, and the electoral commission opened polling stations for this diaspora on Russian territory.
Speaking to the Russian press, the head of the occupation administration of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, already claimed victory during this vote organized in an emergency over five days, despite the bombardments and in the presence of the Russian armed forces.
“
It is already clear that the overwhelming majority of people supported leaving Ukraine and uniting with Russia
,” he said of the area under his control.
The Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs for his part swept away the value of these votes.
"
This will not change anything in our policy, our diplomacy and our actions in the military field
", indicated Dmytro Kouleba during a press conference in Kiev with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna.
The latter described these referendums as a "
masquerade
", claiming to see "
no sincerity
" in this consultation organized by Moscow.
“
They have no legitimacy, no value.
We will not recognize them, they will lead to sanctions from France, Europe and other states in the international community
,” the French Foreign Minister continued.
Through the voice of its head of diplomacy Josep Borrell, the European Union has meanwhile declared that it considers these votes “
illegal
” and that their organizers will be sanctioned.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry and the US State Department also announced that they would “
never recognize
” these results and Russia's annexation of territory in Ukraine.
(
With
AFP)
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