Russia is Manipulating Referendum in Occupied Areas of Ukraine Which Will Further Antagonize The West

On the 27th of September 2022, reports from CTV News stated that this coming Tuesday is the last day of voting on the wish to join as part of Russia. This so-called Referendum has been staged in 4 Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine – Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk. According to Kremlin-installed officials, over 85% voted for annexation. Armed Russian soldiers were door to door forcing people to go out to vote. The earliest for these results to be declared is on Friday and it signifies the lasting of 7 months war will enter a new, more dangerous phase. In essence, the Kremlin’s “Manipulated voting” has exacerbated the tension between Russia and Western countries.

After Ukraine’s counter-attacks caused Russia’s failure to take over the country, President Putin ordered for recruitment of further 300,000 conscripted soldiers to the battlefield and warned that Russia might deploy nuclear weapons to protect its territory, including the newly acquired lands.

US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan responded to Putin’s nuclear threats and said on US NBC on Sunday that if Moscow indeed uses nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war, Russia will pay heavily for it.

Western Allies firmly stand by Ukraine and think the public voting is a scam. French Foreign Secretary Katheryn Colonna visited Kyiv on Tuesday and said that France is committed to “support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.