Russian plans to hold ‘sham referendums’ in areas of occupied Ukraine are a “blatant violation of international law,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. “This is a further escalation in Putin’s war,” Stoltenberg said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country’s invasion of Ukraine. Stoltenberg called on the international community to condemn the move and step up support for Ukraine as a result. The top NATO offical is attending the UN General Assembly in New York.