Russia’s Annexation Of Ukrainian Regions Would Sever Diplomatic Negotiations With Putin, Zelensky Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the annexation of Ukraine would mean the end of diplomatic negotiations with Russia.

Zelensky said during an interview on CBS that Russians have threatened people with shutting off their electricity and throwing them in jail if they don't vote in the referendum.

Zelensky said there was a low percentage of people who supported the referendum.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. national security adviser, told Face the Nation that the U.S. will not recognize the "sham referenda" that "in no way represents the will of the people."

In a move that has received international condemnation, authorities installed by Russia began holding referendums in the four occupied regions of Ukraine. Voters are asked if they want to create an independent state that will join the Russian Federation. The results will most likely be rigged in favor of Russia. Ukranians in the Luhansk region have been forced to vote under threat of arrest and job loss, according to Serhiy Gaidai. The voting will continue until Tuesday.

What To Watch For

Putin said last week that he would use nuclear weapons to protect Russia. His comments raised fears that if Putin used the referendum results to justify an annexation, Russia would retaliate against the Ukrainians.

There is a sum of fifteen billion dollars. Sullivan said that the U.S. has provided weapons to the Ukrainians against Russia. Sullivan said that nothing that Russia has done with this deployment of troops, with the sham referenda in the occupied regions, is going to deter us from providingUkraine with the necessary means and technologies to defend themselves.

Here's what you need to know about Russia's contrived voting.

Putin hired 300,000 Reservists to fight in Ukranian as he supported referendums in Russian territories.