European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper on March 24 reafirrmed the European Union’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and decried Russia’s sham “referendums” in illegally occupied regions.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff on March 21 suggested that Ukrainians living in occupied territories may want to live under Russia, citing so-called “referendums.” The remarks, which echoed Kremlin propaganda, garnered backlash from Ukraine and its allies.
The EU does not recognize Russia’s “completely fraudulent” referendums held “at gunpoint” in illegally annexed Ukrainian regions, Hipper said.
Hipper also condemned Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine and called for Moscow to demonstrate its willingness to end the war.
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Witkoff’s comments sparked outrage and fears that the U.S. might lend legitimacy to Russia’s ongoing occupation of sovereign Ukrainian territory. Russia now partially occupies four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
In September 2022, Russia annexed the four regions, using sham referendums to justify the seizure of Ukrainian land.
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