Ukraine joined more than 55 countries at the United Nations on Friday in condemning Russia’s attempts to organize elections on occupied Ukrainian soil, calling them invalid.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the illegal attempts by the Russian Federation to organize Russian presidential elections in temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory,” the organization said in a statement read out by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations Sergey Kislitsa. .”
“Holding elections on the territory of another United Nations member state without its consent is a clear disregard for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. “Such elections have no validity under international law.”
Beginning on Friday and running through Sunday, Russians will vote in polls that international election observers say they did not have a free or fair chance to return President Vladimir Putin to power for six months. Year.
Ukraine, backed by Council member Slovenia, asked the United Nations Security Council to meet on Friday to discuss Russia’s vote in areas of Ukraine captured and occupied by Russian forces, including Crimea as well as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kazakhstan and Russia. Volsun and Zaporozhye regions.
“Whether you like it or not, you have convened an entire Security Council meeting to criticize Russia for holding democratic elections in a territory that is administratively, politically and economically part of our country,” said Russia’s deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyansky.
Ukraine’s envoy dismissed the Russian election as a “mockery” and said residents of the occupied areas had been subjected to widespread intimidation by local authorities to take part in “sham” elections.
“These include threats to life, unlawful detention, denial of access to health care and social services, threats of deportation and deprivation of property,” Kislitsa said. “We should not forget that these actions take place at gunpoint.”
U.S. envoy Linda Thomas Greenfield said: “Let’s call this what it is: a blatant propaganda campaign designed to somehow reinforce Russia’s false claims that it illegally invaded parts of Ukraine. “
United Nations political chief Rosemary DiCarlo said that as an occupying power, Russia has an obligation to uphold Ukrainian law in the occupied territories. She said it was “unacceptable” for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to condemn Russia’s intention to hold presidential elections in the regions.
