Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, on Monday condemned the holding of Russian presidential elections in the occupied territories of Georgia, calling it a flagrant violation of international norms.
“It is utterly unacceptable and illegal for the Russian Federation to conduct presidential elections in the occupied regions of Georgia. This action blatantly undermines Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stands in clear contradiction to established international standards,” stated President Zourabichvili.
She has called upon the international community to respond decisively to what she deemed as illegal actions by Russia, which further eroded Georgia’s sovereignty, especially in regions like Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali, which are still under occupation.
The President had previously raised this issue with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during their meeting at the Orbeliani Palace earlier the same day, reiterating her condemnation of such actions.
Putin’s victory in these elections will mark his fifth term as President of Russia. Notably, amendments to the Russian constitution in 2020 extended the presidential term limits, allowing Putin the possibility of two more terms beyond 2024.
