"Foreign observers" in Crimea election represent no one but themselves - MFA Ukraine

That’s according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko who gave a comment to Ukrinform.

"We consider the arrival of agents of Russian influence on the Crimean peninsula as their private initiative. They represent no one but themselves. This in no way legitimizes the illegal election process,” Nikolenko said.

He stressed that foreign governments have clearly stated that they will not recognize the outcome of the Russian vote in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

“Moreover, according to our information, our partners warned their politicians against visiting the Crimean peninsula. There is no reason to question the consolidated international position on Crimea,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

As reported, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, at a briefing following a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council on Friday said foreign officials and lawmakers who decide to observe the elections to the State Duma in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories of Crimea and Donbas will face Ukrainian sanctions, regardless of whether they enjoy diplomatic immunity. Danilov said Kyiv had been tipped that a number of citizens of France, Venezuela, Serbia, and some other countries intended to visit the temporarily occupied territories.

It should be reminded that on September 17 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly protested and condemned the unlawful holding by Russia of State Duma elections in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and mandated involvement of Ukrainians citizens, to whom Russian passports had been illegally issued in the occupied areas, as voters in the said election.

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