A man casts his ballot during a referendum on the secession of Zaporizhzhia region from Ukraine in the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol on September 26. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)White House officials are watching closely and preparing their potential response Monday as four Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine continued to vote in referendums that are being effectively carried out at gunpoint and have been dismissed by the West as a "sham." With the results of the Russian-organized voting expected to be announced as soon as tomorrow, US officials anticipate Russia could move quickly to annex the four areas, potentially within days. If and when they do, it would prompt a swift response from the US, which has pledged not to recognize the results, one official said. The US is not currently expected to respond until Russia has moved to annex the regions, the official said, and when Russia ultimately attempts to do so remains to be seen.

Source: CNN September 26, 2022 22:40 UTC