Pro Russia Leaders In The Ukrainian Region Appeals Referendum, President Zelensky: Our Position Has Not Change

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said Kiev's attitudes and goals would remain unchanged, despite announcements of future referendums in the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.

"Our position has not changed by noise and announcements from somewhere, and our partners fully support us on that," Zelensky said in a video speech.

"Our position is clearly defined and well known, and this is what we have to focus on. Our job is what happens somewhere, but not something that is announced somewhere."

On the same occasion, President Zelensky again called for "more support for the Ukrainian armed forces, more support for intelligence, more support for special operations forces, more support for the Ukrainian Security Service, National Guard, police, border guards."

As previously reported, pro-Russian figures announced a referendum for the provinces of September 23-27 in the provinces of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, representing about 15 percent of Ukraine, or areas the size of Hungary.

Russia had previously considered Lugansk and Donetsk, which jointly formed a part of the Moscow Donbas region occupied in 2014, to become an independent country.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and the West consider all parts of Ukraine held by Russian troops to be illegally occupied.

In this regard, the US White House National Security Adviser to the EU's Head of Foreign Policy criticized the plan.