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Voting on accession to Russia

Federation Council may consider issue of new entities joining Russia on October 4

Valentina Matviyenko reiterated that the referendums in Donbass, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions would conclude today

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko

© Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS

TAGANROG /Rostov Region/, September 27. /TASS/. The Federation Council may consider the issue of the DPR, the LPR, the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions joining Russia at its next scheduled meeting on October 4 provided a positive outcome of referendums, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko told journalists on Tuesday.

"We will respect the decision by the residents of the DPR, the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions. If they decide to join the Russian Federation, undoubtedly, we will support this. So far, I don’t see the need to hold any emergency sessions. I think that as early as October 4 we will be ready to consider [this issue] if everything is confirmed and all is well," the official said during a working visit to Taganrog.

"In my opinion, currently this is such a hard-won decision by the residents of these regions. We do not leave our own behind," she added.

Matviyenko reiterated that the referendums in Donbass, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions would conclude today. "I think that tomorrow or the day after, in the near future, the results will become available," she concluded.

The referendums on joining Russia kicked off in the Donetsk and the Lugansk People’s Republics and in the liberated areas of the Kherson and the Zaporozhye Regions at 08:00 a.m. Moscow Time on September 23. Voting will continue until September 27. The vote is also being held in a number of Russian regions where those evacuated from Donbass and Ukraine are located.

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