MFA condemns Russia's holding elections in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories
The ministry views the organization and conduct of illegal voting as a continuation of Russia's gross violations of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to the statement, these actions by Russia also grossly violate the fundamental principles and norms of international law, Russia's obligations under international agreements to which Ukraine and Russia are parties, Ukrainian law, and are contrary to the UN Charter, UN General Assembly resolutions A/RES/68/262 of March 27, 2014, А/RES/71/205 of December 19, 2016, А/RES/72/190 of December 19, 2017, А/RES/73/194 of December 17, 2018, А/RES/73/263 of December 22, 2018, А/RES/74/17 of December 9, 2019, А/RES/74/168 of December 18 2019, А/RES/75/29 of December 7, 2020 and А/RES/75/192 of December 16, 2020, the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe of August 1, 1975.
Russia's holding elections in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol is illegal, and their results will not have any legal consequences, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
The involvement in the vote of Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as almost 1.5 million voters currently living in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, will significantly distort the results of the elections to the Russian State Duma and generally throw into question their legitimacy.
All those involved in organizing and conducting illegal voting in the temporarily occupied Crimea, as well as organizing the participation in these elections of Ukrainian citizens with illegally issued passports of Russian citizens in the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be liable under Ukrainian law.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on foreign states and international organizations to strongly condemn Russia's illegal actions, to clearly declare the non-recognition of the election results in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the illegitimacy of the Russian State Duma formed in this way, and to increase political and diplomatic pressure on Russia.
The ministry also demanded that Russia stop the occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, put an end to its illegal activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and fully implement the relevant decisions of international organizations and international courts.
Elections to the Russian State Duma are to take place on September 19. Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called on the international community not to recognize the legitimacy of this election due to the intention of the Russian authorities to illegally hold the vote in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea and occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
