Russia's referendum to annex Ukrainian territory
As the United States prepared a U.N. resolution denouncing the referendums as fakes and Russia remained defiant, Russian-installed officials in four of Ukraine's seized areas announced overwhelming support for joining Russia. Additionally, according to U.S. sources, the US is planning a fresh set of penalties against Russia should Moscow acquire Ukrainian land as well as an upcoming $1.1 billion arms deal for Ukraine. After Germany, Sweden, and Denmark claimed that attacks caused significant leakage from two Russian energy pipelines, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken stated that the United States and its partners remained committed to European energy security. Whoever the leakers might remain largely unknown. Votes that were hurriedly organized were held over the course of five days in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as in the southern areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which together make up around 15% of Ukrainian territory. Officials nominated by Ru...