The Republic of Moldova firmly condemns the sham plebiscites that were illegally held by the Russian Federation in the occupied Ukraine regions Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk. The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Daniel Vodă said that this is a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law, IPN reports.

“These pseudo-plebiscites are a false pretext for annexing by force sovereign territories of Ukraine. This way, our country does not recognize the results of these illegal actions and reiterates its consistent support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” noted the Ministry’s spokesman.

The press reported that the self-styled referendums on joining Russia began on September 23. They were denounced as rigged by Ukraine, the Western governments and the UN as they are illegal in accordance with international law. Pro-Russian officials in the four regions in which sham referendum were held the last few days said the people overwhelmingly voted in favor of the annexation.