Russia’s electoral commission said on Wednesday that all referendums rejected by the West as “pretend” in four Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine won overwhelming support from voters.
Turnout was over 90% in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, and 79% in Kherson, according to the Central Electoral Commission set up by Russia. At least 87% of all four states voted in favor of joining Russia, officials said.
Ukrainian governor of Luhansk Oblast Serhiy Haydai said that in 2012 Luhansk Oblast had 1.8 million registered voters and 1.66 million Russians, despite the fact that at least half of the urban population has left since the war began. to a staged referendum, he said.
“This result should not surprise anyone,” said Haidai. “Thousands of people are outraged, but very few are surprised.”
Russian leaders in the region have lobbied Russian President Vladimir Putin to quickly incorporate these states into state-owned Russia. Tas news agency reported. Putin plans to do so in the coming days or weeks.
In-person voting took place only on Tuesday, the last day of voting. From Friday to Monday, Election Commission staff roamed homes with mobile ballot boxes, were accompanied by armed forces, and set up temporary outdoor polling stations in neighborhoods, the Associated Press reported. did
The US proposed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the vote, and Ukraine vowed to take back its states, while calling for tougher sanctions against Russia. said it was considering.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the referendum was “an illegal attempt to use force to seize land and change borders. …We must make the Kremlin pay for this further escalation.” I have decided to
Other developments:
►Three leaks in pipelines that send vast amounts of natural gas into the Baltic Sea could release as much as a third of Denmark’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions, Danish officials say warned Wednesday. European leaders say sabotage is suspected to be the cause of the leaks.
>The Speaker of the Russian Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, has proposed seizing cars left at the border by those who fled the country to avoid enlistment and handing them over to the families of Russian soldiers.
> Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said separatist referendums in four Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine have complicated efforts to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
Will additional sanctions hurt Russia?
With several rounds of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and about 30 other countries for aggression against Ukraine, the Kremlin was set to come to the negotiating table with a healthy appetite for a peace deal. Since that has not happened yet, is there reason to believe that the new sanctions will make a difference?
That question was on the minds of lawmakers from both parties Wednesday when two architects of the Biden administration’s sanctions campaign appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Assistant Treasury Secretary Elizabeth Rosenberg and State Department Sanctions Coordination Director James O’Brien have called for stronger action from Russian President Vladimir Putin to deprive him of the revenue and weapons he needs to continue his offensive against Ukraine.
They were frustrated by the relatively ineffective sanctions currently in place. Its impact has been blunted by soaring oil and natural gas prices that have kept Russia’s economy afloat while funding Putin’s war machine.
Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney said of international sanctions:
The White House has vowed that Russia will pay a substantial economic price if it annexes Ukrainian territory as expected after the no-confidence referendum that ended Tuesday.
New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jean Shaheen said she would like to see a quicker result. “The frustration is knowing Ukrainians are dying while we are playing the long war,” she said.
US to give Ukraine $1.1 billion more in military aid, including 18 HIMARS
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced $1.1 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine, including 18 precision long-range rocket artillery systems that have been key to Ukraine’s recent military gains.
High-mobility artillery rocket systems will be purchased and shipped in the next few years for Ukraine’s long-term needs, according to a senior defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon. The United States has already sent 16 HIMARS launchers to Ukraine, with Western allies providing 10 more.
The rockets have a range of more than 40 miles and have been used by Ukrainian forces to devastate Russian ammunition depots, supply lines and logistics depots, officials said.
Other equipment, including 150 Humvees, 150 trucks and radar systems, will be sent sooner, officials said. The equipment from half a year he arrives in two years.
The US has provided $19 billion in military aid to Ukraine since 2014, including $16.9 billion under the Biden administration.
– Tom Vanden Brooke
Americans warned to withdraw from Russia
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has issued a security alert to Americans in Russia, warning them to leave “immediately while limited business travel options remain.” The embassy cited ongoing military mobilization in Russia to boost troops for the war in Ukraine.
“Russia refuses to recognize dual citizens as U.S. citizens, refuses U.S. consular assistance, prevents them from leaving Russia, and may draft dual citizens for military service. There is,” he said.
Vice President Harris denounces ‘Putin’s war’, won’t say if fleeing Russians will be welcome in US
More than 250,000 men left Russia in the first four days after President Vladimir Putin announced partial military mobilization. According to Novaya Gazeta Europealso reported that Putin may soon close the borders.
More than 194,000 people in the three countries bordering Russia – Kazakhstan, Georgia and Finland – have evaded enlistment, urging Finnish authorities to impose restrictions on Russians trying to enter the country. In Moscow, there are reportedly officers at border crossings who are reportedly handing out draft notifications to people about to leave the country.
Vice President Kamala Harris was asked at a news conference during her current visit to Japan on Wednesday whether Russian men who escaped military service would be welcome in the United States.She did not answer the question precisely.
“Putin’s war is wreaking havoc on Ukraine. I advocate standing up for principles to make a case for clarity,” Harris said.
“And I believe that in moments like these, all people need to have the freedom and courage to stand up and speak out about the atrocities and their consequences for the livelihoods and stability of the people in the region. increase.”
President Joe Biden on Tuesday maintained the limit of countries accepting refugees for the 2023 budget year, which is Saturday, at 125,000. He has less than 20,000 admissions in the current budget year.
Contributed by Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY. Associated Press