The U.S. will not recognize the results of any effort by Russia or its proxies to divide sovereign Georgian territory, said Ned Price, Spokesperson for the US Department of State during his daily press briefing.

Ned Price thus responded to a question about the position of the State Department regarding the referendum planned in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.

“Neither de facto authorities nor the Russian Government have the right to make decisions about the future of South Ossetia, which is part of Georgia. Just as the United States did not recognize Russia’s illegal seizure and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, and just as we did not recognize the Kremlin’s cynical attempt to recognize independence of the so-called DNR and LNR in eastern Ukraine just before it launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we will not recognize the results of any effort by Russia or its proxies to divide sovereign Georgian territory. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders,” Ned Price said.

The spokesperson of the Department of State also called on Russia to cease its occupation of the Georgian region of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and fulfil its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire with Georgia to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions.