The referendums, denounced by Kyiv and its Western allies as rigged, occurred within the Russian-controlled Luhansk and Kherson areas, and in occupied areas of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia areas. They’re broadly seen as a pretext for bulletins that Russia is annexing the territories, simply because it annexed Crimea in 2014.

Professional-Moscow officers mentioned later Tuesday that residents in all 4 occupied areas of Ukraine voted to affix Russia, a probable prelude to annexations probably inside days that will set the stage for a brand new and probably extra harmful section within the seven-month conflict following Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Ukraine known as the emergency assembly of the Safety Council to reply to the referendums, and the anticipated annexation bulletins from Russia.

“Any annexation within the fashionable world is against the law, against the law towards all states that think about the inviolability of border to be very important for themselves,” Zelenskyy mentioned.

He accused Russia of destroying “the primary physique of worldwide legislation,” and responding to “any proposals for talks with a brand new brutality on the battlefield, with even larger disaster and threats to Ukraine and the world.”

“Russia’s recognition of those sham referenda as regular, the implementation of the so-called Crimean state of affairs and one other try and annex Ukrainian territory, will imply that there’s nothing to speak about with this president of Russia,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “Annexation is the form of transfer that places him alone towards the entire of humanity.”

Many Safety Council members denounced the referendums and pressured that any annexation of territory would by no means be acknowledged.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield introduced that the U.S. and Albania will quickly flow into a Safety Council decision that will condemn “the sham referenda,” name on all international locations to not acknowledge any altered standing to Ukraine, and demand a right away withdrawal of Russian troops from the nation.

The decision is for certain to face a Russian veto, “however we’re hoping to see the remainder of the council stand robust and refusing to just accept the redrawing,” she mentioned.

The U.S. ambassador mentioned she expects a Safety Council vote on the decision late this week or early subsequent week.

Thomas-Greenfield mentioned if Russia does use its veto, the U.S. and Albania will take the decision to the 193-member U.N. Common Meeting, the place there aren’t any vetoes, “to ship an unmistakable message to Moscow.”

The meeting overwhelmingly adopted two resolutions in March, with assist from about 140 international locations, demanding a right away finish to Russia’s army operation and withdrawal of its forces, and blaming Moscow for the humanitarian disaster that has now hit many international locations particularly within the growing world with meals and power shortages, larger costs and rising inflation.

Explaining why the U.S. was transferring forward with the decision, Thomas-Greenfield quoted U.S. President Joe Biden chatting with the annual assembly of world leaders on the Common Meeting final week and saying “if nations can pursue their imperial ambitions with out penalties, then we put in danger every thing that this establishment stands for every thing.”