EU rejects Russian elections in occupied Ukraine and prepares sanctions
Elections in Russia (photo: Getty Images)
The European Union will not recognize Russia's State Duma "elections" held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and intends to impose sanctions on those involved in organizing them, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
EU prepares sanctions
The European Union condemned Russia's holding of State Duma "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These include Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
The EU stressed that it recognizes neither the holding of these "elections" nor their results. Brussels also announced its intention to impose sanctions on people who participated in organizing the vote or ran as candidates in the occupied territories.
What the EU said
The statement emphasized that holding Russian "elections" in the occupied territories violates international law, including the UN Charter, as well as Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
The European Union called on Russia to respect Ukraine's internationally recognized borders and end the war. The EU also demanded the full and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops and military equipment from Ukrainian territory.
The statement separately addressed the situation surrounding the "elections" within Russia itself. The EU pointed to restrictions on political competition, increasing repression and the absence of a level playing field for participants in the electoral process.
In addition, the European Union expressed regret over Russia's decision not to invite OSCE observers to the "elections." According to the EU, this deprived voters and institutions of the opportunity to receive an independent assessment of the vote.
During the massive drone attack on Moscow on September 20, residents of the Russian capital received no warnings about the threat through either sirens or SMS alerts. Analysts linked this to the Russian authorities' reluctance to reduce turnout in the State Duma elections.
