The United States will never recognise Russia's claims to any sovereign territory of Ukraine — Antony Blinken

The United States does not recognise Russia's claims to any sovereign territory of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced this.

Blinken called the so-called "elections" held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine "blatant disregard for UN Charter principles."

"These so-called elections are taking place nearly one year after the Kremlin staged sham referenda and purported to annex Ukraine’s Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts, and over nine years after Russia purported to annex Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol," the Secretary of State said.

He added that the US could impose sanctions on those who support these elections, including so-called "international observers."

Russia is holding elections to the local authorities, including in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The so-called elections will be held until September 10.

It will be recalled that the Ukrainian Ombudsman called on international partners to condemn and not recognise the results of the so-called "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories.