Holding of Russian Duma elections in occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian territory, breaches international law. The results will be null and void, according to Ukraine.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has said this in a statement on Friday indicating that it strongly protests and condemns the illegal organization and holding of elections of deputies to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on September 17-19, 2021.
It says Ukraine considers illegal voting as continuation of Russia's gross violations of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"The holding of elections by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol is illegal and their results will be null and void," the statement reads.
According to the ministry, Russia is also compelling Ukrainian citizens with illegally issued Russian passports to take part in these elections in the temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"Involvement of Ukrainian citizens, living in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, along with almost 1.5 million voters currently living in the temporarily occupied Crimea, will significantly distort the results of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation and call into question their legitimacy in whole," it says.
Ukraine calls on all states and international organizations to strongly condemn Russia's illegal actions, clearly state non-recognition of election results in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and affirm the illegitimacy of the Russian State Duma.
"These actions of the Russian Federation severely violate the fundamental principles and norms of international law, Russia's obligations under international agreements to which both Ukraine and Russia are parties, and the Ukrainian legislation," the statement underlines.
The ministry also calls to increase political and diplomatic pressure on the Russian Federation, including by strengthening sanctions.
