<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">In Ukraine, Donetsk and Lugansk, along with Kherson Region and part of Zaporizhzhia Region in southern Ukraine have voted to join Russia in referendums that were held between September 23 and 27.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">The election officials said, 99 percent of ballots cast in Donetsk and 98 percent in the Luhansk region voted in favour of joining the Russian Federation. They said, in the Zaporizhzhia region 93 percent were in favour of annexation, with the Kherson region giving the lowest pro-annexation tally at 87 percent.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the referendums in the four regions.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">The US and NATO have also condemned referendums in eastern Ukraine as voting concluded.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, the West would never recognize the pro-annexation votes. He said, the US will impose additional swift and severe costs on Russia"  for holding the referendums.</span></p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br />''</p>''<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;">NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in a tweet said that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and told him that the military alliance is unwavering in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and right to self-defense.</span></p>