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Italy will not recognise Russian referendums, says Draghi

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Italy will not recognise Russian referendums, says Draghi
Italy’s outgoing PM Mario Draghi said that Rome will regard any Russian annexation referendum as ‘illegal’. Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP

The outgoing Italian PM said that the country will regard any referendum held in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine as ‘illegal’

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Italy will not recognise the results of "illegal" annexation referendums organised by Moscow in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday.

The Italian leader's press office said that Draghi had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reassure him of Rome's "continued support" for Kyiv.

READ ALSO: Italy’s Salvini calls for Europe to ‘rethink’ sanctions on Russia

Draghi and Zelensky reportedly discussed the "illegal referendums" currently being held in the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – referendums which, in the words of the Italian PM, "Italy will not recognise".

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On Tuesday, Kremlin-installed authorities in the four above-mentioned Ukrainian regions claimed victory in the votes, saying that preliminary results showed a majority in favour of annexation by Moscow.

The following day, the leaders of Ukraine's Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions called on President Vladimir Putin to formally annex the territories to Russia.

Only Donetsk – whose Donbas region has been partially controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014 – had yet to formally ask Putin for annexation.

Italy has supported Ukraine since Russia invaded its territory in February, but Europe is currently watching closely to see whether the country will continue to do so after Sunday’s general elections were won by the Eurosceptic Brothers of Italy party.

READ ALSO: Outcry in Italy after Berlusconi defends Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right coalition that triumphed at the polls, tweeted her "loyal support" for Ukraine on Tuesday.

However, her coalition partners – anti-immigration League leader Matteo Salvini and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi – have long had ties with Moscow.

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