Emmanuel Macron calls Ukraine referendums 'cynical' and 'a parody'

NEW YORK: Referendums planned in Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions on joining Russia will not be recognized by the international community, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, as he called the plans "cynical" and "a parody."

"If the Donbas referendum idea wasn’t so tragic it would be funny," he told reporters.

Speaking in New York, Macron said the referendum proposals for eastern Ukraine were an additional provocation following Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

"I think what was announced by Russia is a parody," Macron said. "This is cynicism, and obviously it won't be recognized by the international community."

Russian-installed leaders in occupied areas of four Ukrainian regions set out plans for referendums on joining Russia, a move which Kyiv dismissed as a stunt by Moscow to try to reclaim the initiative after resounding losses on the battlefield.