The US denounces Russia's planned referendums to annex parts of Ukraine as "sham" actions and says it would not recognize the results. "We know that Russia will use these sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories either now or in the future," says White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. "If this does transpire, the United States will never recognize Russia's claims to any purportedly annexed parts of Ukraine," he adds. SOUNDBITE