Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, UK jointly condemn Russian elections in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories
Holding elections to the Russian State Duma in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as Russia did in Crimea, as well as in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia, constitutes a gross violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, as well as the UN Charter.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom have jointly condemned Russia's elections held in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. The nations assert that this action constitutes a severe violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, as well as a breach of the UN Charter. These sham elections are part of a broader system of occupation, which includes the imposition of Russian administration, law, media, education, language, and citizenship, enforced through coercion and repression.
Reports of the enforced disappearance, detention, and torture of thousands of Ukrainian citizens have been documented.
The signatories of the statement emphasize that the occupied regions are an integral part of Ukraine, and holding sham elections cannot alter their status under international law. They reaffirm their support for Ukraine and call on the international community to reject Russia's attempts to normalize its occupation. They urge those involved in organizing the election to be held accountable, and demand that Russia cease its war of aggression against Ukraine and agree to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. The statement stresses that borders must never be redrawn by force.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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