Moscow: Four regions of Ukraine have decided to join Russia, official referendum statistics have been released.
A foreign news agency Reports The Donetsk Luhansk People’s Republics (LR and DPR) have voted to join Russia in a referendum to be held between September 23 and 27, along with the Kherson region and the Zakhurozye region of southern Ukraine.
More than 98 percent of voters in Luhansk supported joining Russia, while Donetsk recorded more than 99 percent of voters supporting joining Russia, official figures released showed.
Similarly, all ballots were processed yesterday in both Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, where 93 and 87 percent of voters, respectively, have voted to leave Ukraine and support union with Russia.
The Deputy Speaker of the Upper House of the Parliament, Senator Konstantin Kosa Chief, said that when the regions that want to be part of the Russian Federation present their proposals to Moscow, the Russian President informs the Parliament and the Government about the matter.
He said that if a political agreement on accession is reached, international agreements should be drafted on the admission of foreign states or parts of them to Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the other hand, said he was confident the ratification process would be quick enough, and that the Russian constitution and federal law on the accession of new constituents specify a number of necessary steps.
According to the report, the process of integrating the new territories into the Russian Federation after the results of the referendum may take some time as it requires the approval of the country’s parliament and the president.
