Zelensky: Thanks the West for its support in the Russian “referendums”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday played down the gravity of “referendums” expected to be organized on the annexation of parts of Ukraine’s territory to Russia, while welcoming the condemnation of the plan by Western leaders.

“I thank all friends and partners of Ukraine for the massive and strict condemnation of Russia’s intention to organize the latest fake referendums,” the Ukrainian head of state said during his speech last night.

At the same time, he downplayed the importance of the urgent organization of these “referendums”.

He referred to “noisy news from Russia,” adding “so what happened? What is new in relation to what was said before?’

“Our position does not change depending on the noise of this or that news,” added Mr. Zelensky, for whom the aim is to “maintain the pressure” on Russia. “Let us maintain our unity, let us protect Ukraine, let us liberate our lands and show no weakness,” he added.

Pro-Russian authorities in four regions of Ukraine announced on Tuesday the urgent holding of “referendums” on their union with Russia from September 23 to 27, amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “these fictitious referendums are not acceptable”. The US denounced the “pretense” of popular consultation. French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, denounced before the United Nations General Assembly the “return to the era of imperialism and colonialism”, a few minutes after calling the announced referendums “a travesty”.

These procedures, in the image of the one that formalized the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea (south) to Russia in 2014, which Kyiv and the West do not recognize, have been being prepared for months.

RES-EMP

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