Ukraine condemns Russian “elections” in its occupied territories

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Friday condemned Russia’s ongoing attempts to hold presidential “elections” within its occupied regions, asserting the actions “blatantly violate international law norms and principles”.

The Russian authorities’ persistence in conducting what Ukraine termed as “pseudo-referendums” and “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Crimea, and Sevastopol has drawn strong condemnation from the international community. 

Despite repeated calls for cessation, Russia continued to extend its legislation over these regions, further challenging Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Kyiv said. 

The Ministry emphasized the illegality of the race and asserted they would bear no legal consequences. Furthermore, compelling Ukrainian citizens residing in these occupied territories or forcibly transferred to Russian territory to participate in the process was deemed unlawful.

Ukraine urged foreign states and international organizations not to recognize the results of the “elections” and cautioned that violators of Ukrainian legislation would be held accountable.

The Ukrainian government also called upon its citizens residing in the occupied territories or those within Russian Federation territory to abstain from participating in these “pseudo-elections” for their own safety, citing concerns over potential provocations by Russian authorities.

The Ministry’s statement underscored Russia’s deviation from democratic norms and the consolidation of power by Vladimir Putin, who has been accused of serious war crimes. It warned of the grave threat posed by Putin’s aggressive regime to regional and global stability.

Ukraine urged the international community, including the media and public figures, not to lend legitimacy to this electoral farce and to reaffirm their commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law by supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia.