By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) – NATO on Friday condemned Russia for conducting "so-called elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
"They are a sham, illegitimate, and another violation of international law," NATO spokesperson Dylan White said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He reaffirmed the military alliance's support for Ukraine.
Earlier, the US and Germany also slammed the planned local elections.
Russian authorities are set to conduct local elections this weekend in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, and parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya.
Western countries are accusing Russia of trying to legitimize the annexation of Ukrainian territory by holding elections in the occupied areas.