A U.S. diplomat says Russia is planning to annex parts of Ukraine with ‘sham’ elections.

Russia appears to be preparing to annex two regions in eastern Ukraine and possibly a third in the country’s south, a senior American diplomat said on Monday, citing “highly credible” reports of Moscow’s plans.

Michael Carpenter, the American ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said that the Kremlin would likely stage “sham” elections in the Russian-backed separatist territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in mid-May to formally seize control of both.

The ambassador would not specify the origin of these reports or how he was able to make such a prediction.

A similar referendum in Kherson, in southern Ukraine, could follow, he said. The Russian language is dominant in all three areas.

“This is straight out of the Kremlin’s playbook,” Mr. Carpenter told reporters at the State Department on Monday. Read more

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