US won’t recognize results of so-called referendum on Tskhinvali’s unification with Russia

The US says that it will not recognize the results “of any effort by Russia or its proxies to divide sovereign Georgian territory,” responding to the statements made by de facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region that a referendum would be held in the region over joining Russia.

 

“We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” the Department of State spokesperson Ned Price has stated. 

 

Tskhinvali says that joining Russia is their “strategic goal,” and that the “referendum” will be held over the issue in the coming months. The Kremlin said that no decision has been made in this regard so far, but said that they respected the wish of “South Ossetia.” 

 

Georgian FM David Zalkaliani has condemned the attempt and said that the referendum results would have no legal status as the region, as well as another Georgian region of Abkhazia, are occupied by Russia and this was confirmed by the recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.