Ban Ki-moon, Deputy Chair of The Elders and former UN Secretary-General, said:

“Russia’s attempt to annex the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia is a further act of illegality that highlights President Putin’s contempt for international law. All UN member states must reject the sham ‘referenda’, refuse to recognise Russian authority over these regions, and publicly support Ukraine’s right to defend its territory and sovereignty. They must also make it clear to President Putin that any attempt to use nuclear blackmail to consolidate its seizure of territory will backfire and turn Russia into a global pariah.”