Ukraine vows to defy Russia’s ‘null and worthless’ referendums

Ukraine will never recognize ‘zero and worthless’ Russian referendums in its occupied territories and will continue to fight to liberate them, Kiev vowed today.

Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson “remain Ukraine’s sovereign territories,” the Kiev foreign ministry said, despite mock votes held at gunpoint by Russia that paved the way for Putin to annex them.

“Ukraine has every right to restore its territorial integrity by military and diplomatic means, and will continue to liberate,” the ministry added – despite the Kremlin’s threats to resort to nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, US lawmakers are said to have allocated an additional $12 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, underscoring their commitment to long-term support for Kiev, despite Russia’s saber-rattling.

President Zelensky said no peace talks with Russia will take place as Putin tries to divide his country under the guise of democracy

Russian officials in the occupied regions of Ukraine announced yesterday that 90 percent of people had voted to join Russia — a result little doubted as armed soldiers took door-to-door ballot boxes.

The Kremlin puppets in the occupied territories said they planned to ask for permission to join Russia today, and Putin expects to accept that in a speech to parliament on Friday.

While the process lacks legitimacy, it will allow Putin to tell his own people the lie that Ukraine is now attacking Russia rather than the other way around — ushering in a dangerous new phase in the conflict.

President Zelensky said at the UN last night that peace negotiations with Putin could not take place while he was in the process of demarcating Ukrainian territory.

“Russia’s recognition of these mock referendums as normal … will mean there is nothing to talk about with this president of Russia,” he said.

Separately, his State Department slammed shut “armed aggression and helpless attempts to hold the temporarily occupied territories” by the Kremlin.

“Forcing people in these areas to fill out papers with the barrel of a gun is yet another Russian crime in the context of its aggression against Ukraine,” it said.

“Such actions are in serious violation of the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine, as well as the norms of international law and Russia’s international obligations. ‘

Russia claimed yesterday that more than 90 percent of people in the territories it occupies had voted to join the ‘motherland’, although there is little doubt that the vote was rigged

Moscow yesterday published the results of referendums held by its forces in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia over the past week — claiming that 90 percent of people voted to join Russia.

Videos of armed Kremlin troops going door-to-door with ballot boxes have left little doubt about the validity of the votes, but it nonetheless marks an important moment as it gives Putin a pretext to claim them as part of Russia.

The despot is expected to do so on Friday when he addresses both houses of parliament, allowing him to tell his own people the lie that Ukraine is now attacking Russians – rather than the other way around.

That then expands the range of options he has to respond, including the use of nuclear weapons.

Putin threatened to deploy his nuclear arsenal last week and his allies — including ex-president Dmitry Medvedev — have repeated it several times since.

Russia staged the referendums in the wake of a Ukrainian counter-attack east of Kharkiv, putting Putin firmly in the background and victory within reach.

The Kremlin now appears to be picking up steam with a heady mix of threats and escalation.

Putin is expected to annex Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions to Russia in a speech to parliament on Friday (file image)

By annexing territory, Putin could claim Ukraine is attacking Russia instead of the other way around, paving the way for the war to escalate (file image, a Russian soldier in Ukraine)

Aside from the referendums and nuclear saber-rattling, Putin has also ordered the partial mobilization of the Russian population with the aim of sending 300,000 new troops to the front lines.

That has sparked massive domestic unrest with protests erupting in multiple cities, and thousands have fled the country to avoid conscription.

Meanwhile, videos have revealed that the conscripts receive little training or equipment before being thrown to the front lines, with experts saying they are unlikely to change the course of the war.

But instead of winning outright, Putin seems to be trying to raise the cost of beating him to such an extent that the West stops trying.

Against that background, two explosions yesterday severely damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines that run under the Baltic Sea – with Moscow as the prime suspect.

However, Western leaders have so far failed to blame Russia directly, as the attack caught them off guard and evidence is still being gathered.