MFA: Russian presidential 'elections' in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories illegal

14.03.2024 15:00

Ukrinform

Russian presidential "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine -- the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine -- are illegal and will not have any legal consequences.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said this in a statement, according to Ukrinform.

"Forcing millions of Ukrainian citizens who live in temporarily occupied territories or who have been forcibly transferred to Russian territory to participate in the so-called 'elections' is equally illegal," the ministry said.

It added that this, combined with the absence of any signs of compliance with generally recognized democratic principles and election standards in the Russian Federation, as well as the elimination of opponents of the Russian authorities, calls into question the objectivity and legitimacy of any results of these "pseudo-elections."

In this context, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on foreign states and international organizations not to send international observers to participate in yet another farce that the Kremlin is passing off as a presidential election, organized by it, in particular, on the sovereign territory of Ukraine and to refrain from recognizing the results of these "elections."

The ministry also called on the international media and public figures not to assist the Kremlin in creating the illusion of an electoral process and to refrain from referring to this farce as "elections" in the language of democratic states.

"While Vladimir Putin expands his personal power, we urge the democratic world to reaffirm its respect for human life, the rule of law, and democratic values by maximizing its support for our country and the Ukrainian people in the fight against Russian terror, as well as its support for the UN Charter's purposes and principles through continued unwavering non-recognition of Russia's occupation of Ukraine," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Russian presidential "elections" will be held within three days - from March 15 to 17, 2024.

In December 2023, Russia's Central Election Commission adopted a resolution on holding presidential "elections" in March 2024 in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.