Britain condemns Russian elections in occupied territories of Ukraine
Britain condemns Putin's elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
The UK strongly condemned the holding of elections of the president of the Russian Federation in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and deemed them illegal, states the UK's Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Neil Holland.
During a meeting of the Permanent Council of the organization in Vienna on Thursday, March 14, the diplomat reminded that Russia's aggression began in 2014 when it illegally annexed Crimea. Now, according to him, Russia has been trying to seize new territories since the beginning of its full-scale invasion two years ago.
"Now, in the regions of Ukraine it claims to have annexed, Russia is holding its presidential election against the will of the Ukrainian people. This is another blatant attempt by Russia to apply a veneer of legitimacy to its illegal presence in Ukraine. And this is yet another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles that are fundamental to the Helsinki Final Act, which Russia has torn to shreds," Holland said.
He also noted that the UK strongly condemns Russia for holding presidential elections in Ukraine, which contradicts international law, including the UN Charter. He emphasized that these so-called elections on sovereign Ukrainian territory are illegal.
"The UK has been clear, we will never recognise Russia’s attempts to consolidate its illegal control over Ukrainian territory which is in breach of the UN Charter. We will not recognise the results of any sham referendums or elections. Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea are all part of Ukraine. Holding sham elections in these regions will not alter that fact," the UK representative to the OSCE said.
Elections in Russia
In the Russian Federation, the presidential elections will last three days, from March 15 to 17, 2024. On December 8, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin officially announced his intention to run for re-election.
British intelligence reported that Russia is increasing pressure on civilians through early presidential elections in temporarily occupied territories.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported on how pseudo-elections are taking place during the occupation. The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine noted that the results of the elections are already known in the Kremlin.
For more information on pseudo-elections in the occupation, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
