Alwaght- The decision to hold a referendum in the breakaways eastern Ukraine regions of Dontesk and Luhansk will not change the Ukrainian government's stance and agenda, said President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.
"Our positions are not changed by noise and announcements from somewhere, and our partners fully support us on that," Russian Tass news agency quoted him as saying in a video address.
He further said: "Our positions are clearly defined and well known, and this is what we should focus on. Our task is what is happening somewhere, but not something declared somewhere.
He called for "more support for the armed forces of Ukraine, more support for the intelligence, more support for the special operation forces, more support for the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard, police, border guards."
On Monday, the Luhansk People's Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic declared the intention to vote on joining Russian Federation on September 23-27.
The referendums in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will also be organized on the same dates, sources familiar with the planing said.
The Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two republics on February 21, four days after their leaders announced their independence from Ukraine.
Putin ordered the "special military operation" in Ukraine shortly after their recognition to protect the two regions, a majority of whose population is Russians.
