Western countries refuse to recognize treaties on LPR, DPR, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya regions accession to Russia
WASHINGTON. Sept 30 (Interfax) - The United States, the European Union, G7 memebr states, and NATO on Friday denounced the signing of treaties on the accession to Russia of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, the Kherson region, and the Zaporizhzhya region.
"The United States condemns Russia's fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement circulated by the White House.
The foreign policy chiefs of the G7 countries and the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, also refused to recognize the treaties and the referenda preceding them.
"We will impose further economic costs on Russia, and on individuals and entities - inside and outside of Russia - that provide political or economic support to these violations of international law," the statement says.
Its authors also urged Russia to withdraw its troops and weapons from Ukraine and respect that country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The EU member states also said they would not recognize the process of incorporating those territories into Russia.
"We firmly reject and unequivocally condemn the illegal annexation by Russia of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions," the European Council said in a statement.
The EU said it does not and will never recognize the referenda conducted in those territories on joining Russia, it said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference that the allies would not recognize the treaties on admitting new entities to the Russian Federation.
"NATO Allies do not, and will not, recognize any of this territory as part of Russia," he said.
Stoltenberg also urged all countries around the world to declare their non-recognition of the incorporation of four new entities into Russia.
Earlier on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, the Zaporizhzhya, and the Kherson regions signed treaties on the accession of those territories to Russia.