Canada’s Prime Minister says the so-called referendums held by Russia in the illegally occupied regions of Ukraine have no legitimacy with numerous reports of voters being intimidated through force. Justin Trudeau says the referendums are in blatant violation of international law, “motivated by Putin’s notion that he can redraw the map as he pleases.”

The result of what Trudeau calls the sham referendums is that all four occupied regions of Ukraine voted in an overwhelming majority to join Russia. The Prime Minister says Canada does not and will not ever recognize these results or Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. “In response to this further escalation, we intend to impose new sanctions against persons and entities that are complicit in this latest attempt to undermine the principles of state sovereignty, and that share responsibility for the ongoing senseless bloodshed across Ukraine.”