US Politics | Ukraine news latest: Western leaders SLAM Putin’s ‘sham’ referendums as results claim 96% want to join Russia

WESTERN leaders have SLAMMED the ...sham... referendums that took place across Ukraine today, as Russian sources reported that 96% of voters want to join Putin's regime. The ballots closed today on votes in Donetsk and Lugansk in the east and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, as Putin desperately attempts to consolidate his gains in Ukraine. Western leaders have already slammed the votes, with President Zelensky branding them ...illegal.... Meanwhile, NATO hit out at the referendums, calling them a ...violation of international law.... According to reports in Russia, over 96% of the votes counted are in favour of joining Putin's brutal regime, a figure dismissed by leaders across the democratic west. Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest updates...