President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that russia's attempt at the new annexation will lead to new powerful sanctions that will "make it as poor as it was after 1917".
He stated that in his evening address.
The President said that the Prime Ministers of Spain and Denmark had arrived in Kyiv on Thursday.
He thanked them for helping our defense as well as for the sanctions pressure on Russia.
"I urged Spain and Denmark and other European democracies to further strengthen sanctions for this war. To finally impose an oil embargo, to make sure to disconnect the whole russian bank system from the global financial system. And for sure – help us to hold accountable everyone responsible for the war crimes against Ukrainians," – Zelenskyy said.
President emphasized that russian occupiers kept attempting to annex territories in the South and East for the invaders to have at least some reasons to talk about some sort of "victories". Russian troops are accumulating forces, transferring new battalion tactical groups to our land, and even trying to start the so-called "mobilization" in the occupied districts of Ukraine.
"I call on the locals in the southern districts of Ukraine – in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions – to be very careful about the information about yourself that you provide to the invaders. And if they ask you to fill in any questionnaires, to leave your passport details somewhere, you should know – it's not to help you. Not to just carry out a "census" of the people living in a certain territory as they claim. No. And not to provide you with some humanitarian aid. It's really for faking a so-called "referendum" at your land if there's an actual command from Moscow to arrange such a show. And this is reality. Be careful," – Zelenskyy said.
"I want to make it clear – no "KhPR" ["Kherson People Republic" – tr.] will not happen. If someone wants another annexation that can lead only to new powerful sanction strikes on russia. You will make your country as poor as russia has not been since the Civil war after 1917. So it would be better for you to seek peace now," – President added.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, russian invaders in the occupied territory in the Kherson region are planning a so-called "referendum" on 1 May, and from 2 to 10 May to carry out a "population census".