By KYIV. Dec 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA) has called on the international community to resolutely condemn Russia’s intention to hold presidential elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories, and to impose sanctions on those involved in their organization and conduct.
This is stated in the statement of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on the intentions of the Russian Federation to hold presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“We also call on foreign countries not to send their citizens as observers to these pseudo-elections. Those who partake will face criminal responsibility in line with the Ukrainian legislation,” the Foreign Ministry said.
On December 8, the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation announced the holding of the next presidential election on March 15-17, 2024. The Russian authorities announced their intention to organize voting in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine.
“Holding Russian elections on Ukrainian territories grossly violates the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, the norms and principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter. Such an electoral process, like other similar propaganda activities in the past, will be null and void,” the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized that Inclusion of the votes cast in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will question the legitimacy of the overall result of the election of the president of the Russian Federation.
“Any election in Russia has nothing to do with democracy. They serve only as a tool to keep the Russian regime in power,” the ministry said.
