U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken vowed that the West would never recognize Russia’s annexation of Ukraine after Kremlin-installed authorities began claiming the success of referendums organized in areas controlled by Moscow, explaining that “we and many countries on the other side, on the other hand, we were extremely clear. We do not recognize – in fact we will never recognize – Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory.”

Blinken echoed President Joe Biden’s threat that the United States would “impose quick and additional costs on Russia” as the referendum proceeds, adding, “It’s important to remember what’s going on here. Russia has invaded Ukraine, seized territory and engaged in a diabolical plot over some of the territories it has captured” and expelled its inhabitants,” he said, adding that some people are being deported and others are “just disappearing.”

“Then they resettle Russian citizens there, install subordinate governments, organize a referendum and manipulate its result in any way to claim that the territories are part of Russia,” Blinken said.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called “Russian referendums on Ukrainian soil a flagrant violation of international law.”