Referendums on Russian annexation begin in occupied Ukraine territories • FRANCE 24 English

Four areas of Ukraine controlled by Russia and pro-Moscow forces have started referendums on Friday morning on joining Russia, votes widely condemned by the West as illegitimate and a precursor to illegal annexation. Follow FRANCE 24's liveblog for all the latest developments.
#Ukraine #Russia #annexation

[MomoDuJardin]

And the results are already known it's 98% in favour of annexation

[Puleczech]

Me and my friends had a referendum on "Should Putin learn to fly from a high rise building?" and the results came out 100% YES. I am sorry this might anger some people but you cannot do anything against the will of the people, this is the way the referendum ended, so...

[jacqi]

Hello, neighbor! Nice house you got here. Btw, I live here now and it’s mine.

[mariocroatia]

I predict 178% for joining Russia.... Signed Putin

[dproulx]

The man in the green jacket is delusional to think that russia will provide a better quality of First of all... The russian occupied territories belong to Ukraine. The people on these territories would have access to electricity and water had russia not invaded and caused all this destruction.

[upnorth]

I had a referendum. It stated that russia should return to Sweden rule.

[davidliu]

It's like robbing a bank then suing the police when they raid your apartment to retrieve the cash.

[congtak]

Let's try referendum in Russia instead :P

[heavierthanlight]

Let's hold a referenda in France to vote if russia actually is part of Ukrain.

[geemo]

How’s about a referendum in Chechnya or Dagestan?

[raymondk]

transparant ballot boxes 🤣 so everyone can see what you voted for, so you will not vote a NO if you wanna leave that ballot box alive. That whole of Russia is one big charade.

[JC-rrwu]

Shouldn't take long to count, as the result was created months in advance

[medeology]

DO NOT CALL IT REFERENDUMS. You don't have to use the word Kremlin uses, as if words can just be stripped of meaning and replaced with whatever. A cat is not a rabbit, a car is not a house. This exercise that Russia is performing on occupied territory has none of the characteristics of the word "referendum".

[duncansmith]

" I am Spanish and I live in my country. What kind of referendum can be held on Spain's territory?"
So we can assume that all Catalan separatists and Scottish nationalists absolutely despise her sentiments.

[Mnopthgggg]

Let them do whatever, Ukraine will anyway retake it lost territories by force, with help of western weapons.

[vinm]

Jens Stoltenberg (mild mannered lionheart) said,
" This changes nothing, countries should send more support to Ukraine"

[basicsteps]

Like the elections in Russia, everyone should expect it's rigged.

[FunkcijaDijagonale]

Ah yes classic transparent voting boxes, wonder why 🥴

[ShivaRaye]

I think it's fairly obvious to the entire world that if you roll into your neighboring country and start a war, and then don't let your own people call it a war, and then start drafting your populace for the thing that you're not calling a war... That any vote you pull out of the people you have decided to allow to live for the last half of a year might not actually portray the will of the people.

[cinemaipswich]

Most of the Russian Speaking Separatists have already gone back to Russia. It was their family Dacha (holiday home). This should be a quick poll. I wonder if the NUMBER of people voting is released.