US says Russia is about to annex two territories of Eastern Ukraine

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 Russia is planning to annex two territories in Ukraine, after recognizing their independence, a senior US diplomat said.


"According to the latest reports, we believe that Russia will seek to incorporate the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic into Russia," said US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Michael Carpenter said on May 2.


According to Carpenter, the US has "credible" intelligence that Russia will annex the two breakaway territories of Donetsk and Lugansk "sometime in mid-May".


Carpenter also revealed that Russia is planning to hold a "referendum" in mid-May.


"The international community, including the OSCE where I am ambassador, has made it clear that fake referendums and any attempt to annex more Ukrainian territory will not be considered legitimate," he said. Carpenter emphasized.


The US diplomat said that Russia is also considering a similar plan in Kherson to establish a "Kherson People's Republic".


Kherson is the first major Ukrainian city to fall under Russian control after Moscow launched a military operation in the neighboring country at the end of February. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on April 26 that Russian forces had liberated the country. the whole of Kherson.


Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the Russian military had appointed a new "head" of Kherson after taking control of the City Council. Russian forces are said to have chosen a new "mayor" of Kherson and the Ukrainian flag has been lowered from Kherson City Council.


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the people of Kherson not to give out any personal information, such as their passport numbers, to Russian forces, fearing Moscow was planning to hold a referendum in the southern city. South Ukraine. Zelensky warned that "any plan to establish a 'Kherson People's Republic' will not succeed".


Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that referendums in regions of the country to join Russia will have no legal basis and face a strong reaction from the international community. President Zelensky announced that Russia will face heavy sanctions if it moves to annex Ukrainian territories.


Russia announced at the end of March that it had completed the first phase of its military operation in Ukraine and shifted its focus to "liberating" Donbass, where the separatist territories of Donetsk and Lugansk are located in Eastern Ukraine. Russia in February recognized the independence of both Donetsk and Lugansk, and demanded that Ukraine also recognize their independence.


The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, has announced that annexation may be considered with Russia. Meanwhile, the head of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, also announced the region could hold a referendum on becoming part of Russia.

In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine after a referendum. This move of Russia met with opposition from Ukraine and the West, causing Moscow to suffer a wave of sanctions for many years.

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