Pro-Moscow officials said Tuesday that residents in one of the four occupied areas of Ukraine voted to join Russia in a Kremlin-orchestrated vote that has been dismissed by the U.S. and its Western allies as illegitimate.
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According to Russia-installed election officials in Zaporizhzhia region, 93.11 percent of the ballots case in the vote were in support of the annexation. Results from three other Ukrainian regions were expected to follow shortly.
The preordained outcome sets the stage for a dangerous new phase in Russia’s seven-month war in Ukraine because it is expected to serve as a pretext for Moscow to annex the four areas. That could happen as soon as Friday.
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