UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Russia that the “annexation” of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye "would have no legal value”, speaking at a press conference on Thursday at the UN headquarters in ew York City.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign accession treaties for these territories into the Russian Federation on Friday, following referendums in the two Donbass republics, as well as the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye.

The local governments of the DPR and LPR, as well as those established in Kherson and Zaporozhye after they came under Russian control, held referenda September 23-27.

According to the regional election commissions, the percentage of those who voted in favour of joining Russia was 93.11 percent in Zaporozhye, 87.05 percent in Kherson, 98.42 percent in the LPR and 99.23 percent in the DPR.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council that the referendums were an attempt by Russia to 'steal the territory of another state’.

His press secretary, Sergei Nikiforov, has said that there would be no chance for a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine after the referendums.

Ukraine’s Western allies described the voting as a 'sham'. France and Germany vowed not to recognise the results, while EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell claimed those involved in organising them 'will be held accountable'.

US President Joe Biden said that Russia had 'violated the basic principles of the UN Charter' and also made 'open nuclear threats against Europe'.