The parliaments of the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, recognized by the Kremlin on February 21, convened a referendum on integration in Russia between September 23 and 27, which was joined by the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, partially under Russian rule.
The official announcement of holding these popular consultations for the annexation of Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation was made in a speech to the nation delivered last Wednesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the mobilization of 300,000 Russian reservists to fight in Ukraine and of a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons against the West.
Immediately there were criticisms from Western countries and international organizations of Putin’s speech, and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said he was “deeply concerned” about Moscow’s plans to hold referendums on accession to the Russian Federation of Ukrainian territories. busy.
At a Security Council meeting last week, Guterres stressed that “any annexation of the territory of one State by another State resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the UN Charter and international law”.
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