A senior Russian official has been instructed to organize a “imitation” U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Pate said on Tuesday that the referendum on the annexation of the Ukrainian territories to Russia would take place quickly.

The effort is overseen by Sergei Kiriyenko, the deputy head of the Russian presidential administration and a close confidant of Vladimir Putin. “Attempt to annex Russia” In Ukrainian regions, “It would be illegal if implemented”Patel said in a press conference.

The White House warned on August 24 that Moscow could announce one or more referendums “unlawful” Occupied Ukraine in the coming weeks. “Fake referendum will seek to legitimize apparent land grabs in violation of Ukrainian constitution and international law”Patel continued. “America and the international community know the truth, which is that all of Ukraine is and will remain Ukraine.”He added.

On August 24, the US executive announced that these referendums would be held in Kherson (in the south), Zaporizhia, the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as in the country’s second largest city, Kharkiv.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 after an intervention by Russian special forces and a referendum condemned by the KYV and the West as illegal.