Thursday 29 September 2022 10:47 PM Biden clams Putin's referendum in occupied parts of Ukraine as an 'absolute ... trends now

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President Joe Biden promised on Thursday that the United States will never recognize the results of what he said was a 'sham' referendum on the future of Russian-occupied Ukraine.

It came after the Kremlin said it was pressing ahead with plans to annex four regions of Ukraine with a ceremony on Friday.

Voters supposedly approved Moscow's plans by huge majorities in referenda that Western leaders have condemned as illegal and rigged.

Biden used a speech to Pacific Island leaders to denounce the plans.

'I'd also like to briefly address the shameless and transparent effort by Russia to annex parts of neighbour Ukraine,' he said.

'The United States - I want to be very clear about this - the United States will never, never, never recognise Russian claims on Ukraine sovereign territory. 

'The so called referenda was a sham, an absolute sham.'

Russia says the votes were genuine and demonstrated support for the annexation.