The USA is concerned that russia could annex the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as it did with the Crimean peninsula. State Department spokesman Ned Price told this at a briefing, - Priamyi TV channel reports.
According to him, Washington knows that sham referendums are a classic russian scenario.
"We know the russian scenario used in the Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In an attempt to give their occupation a veneer of legitimacy, the russian authorities have tried to hold sham elections, and we remain concerned that they will try to do this again in eastern Ukraine", - Ned Price’s words are quoted.
In addition, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe stated last week that the USA had "highly verified" intelligence reports that the aggressor country would attempt to annex the separatist-occupied regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in mid-May.
In turn, the occupiers are going to create a so-called "people's republic" in Kherson, which will later also be annexed. According to Price, that schedule has not changed.
"We continue to monitor very closely", - the State Department spokesman stressed.
He explained that the USA released this information so that the world would also be involved in what was happening.