AA / Washington / Michael Hernandez
Russia is preparing to hold a “mock” referendum in the occupied Ukrainian territories within days or weeks, the United States warned on Wednesday.
Moscow has instructed officials to begin preparations in areas that came under Russian control during its war on Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhia and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk, the official said. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
The first polls could be announced as early as the end of this week, he added, noting that the United States and the international community will not consider these elections legitimate.
“We expect Russia to try to manipulate the results of these referendum consultations by claiming that the people of Ukraine want to join Russia. Exposing and countering this misinformation in real time will be critical,” Kirby said.
“Russian officials themselves know that what they are doing has no legitimacy and does not reflect the will of the people. In any free and fair referendum, the Ukrainian people would vote overwhelmingly against joining Russia,” he said. he added.
These statements come following the announcement made by the United States, on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, of an additional military aid of 3 billion dollars for the forces of kyiv. This aid includes surface-to-air missile systems, laser-guided rockets, Puma drones and VAMPIRE anti-drone weapons, according to the Pentagon.
The United States has provided $13.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since January 2021, with most of that aid provided after the Kremlin’s “special military operation” began in February.
US President Joe Biden will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, according to the White House.
*Translated from English by Mourad Belhaj
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