US will never recognize outcome of sham elections in occupied Ukrainian territories - embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine announced this on social media platform X, according to Ukrinform.

“Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea are Ukraine. The U.S. does not and will never recognize the legitimacy or outcome of these sham elections held in occupied Ukrainian territories,” the post says.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the so-called "Russia’s presidential elections " in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine - are illegal and will not have any legal consequences.

The Russian presidential "elections" will take place over three days - from 15 to 17 March 2024.

In December, the Central Election Commission of Russia adopted a resolution to hold presidential "elections" in March 2024 in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.