Votes in four eastern Ukrainian regions, aimed at annexing territory Russia has taken by force since its invasion in February, were staged for a third day on…
The votes in four eastern Ukrainian regions, aimed at annexing territory Russia has taken by force since its invasion in February, were staged for a third day on Sunday. The Russian parliament could move to formalize the annexation within days.Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7 a.m., Monday to Friday.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Ukraine and its allies have dismissed the referendums as a sham designed to justify an escalation of the war and a mobilization drive by Moscow after recent battlefield losses. Addressing the U.N. General Assembly and the world’s media in New York on Saturday, Lavrov sought to justify Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, repeating Moscow’s false claims that the elected government in Kyiv was illegitimately installed and filled with neo-Nazis.
Asked if Russia would have grounds for using nuclear weapons to defend the annexed regions, Lavrov said Russian territory, including territory “further enshrined” in Russia’s constitution in the future, “is under the full protection of the state.”Article content Russia says the referendums, hastily organized after Ukraine recaptured swathes of the northeast in a counter-offensive this month, enable people in those regions to express their view.Article content
However, Russia does not fully control any of the four regions, with only around 60% of Donetsk region controlled by Russian or Russian-backed forces.
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