New Zealand has joined its Western allies in denouncing the “sham” referenda held in four Ukrainian regions to join the Russian Federation.
“These so-called referenda were not free or fair, and they very clearly were not held in accordance with democratic principles,” Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said.
Russian sources have reported that the results of the referenda in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson showed significant support for leaving Ukraine.
But Mahuta said they were hastily organised “under the threat of force” and called on Russia to immediately cease the invasion of Ukraine and return to diplomatic negotiations to resolve the conflict….