The European Union has condemned the holding of elections to the Russian State Duma in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, assuring that it will never recognize them, and that sanctions will be applied to those involved in their organization.
A corresponding statement by High Representative Kaja Kallas on behalf of the EU regarding the elections to the State Duma of Russia held on September 18-20, 2026, and their non-applicability on the territory of Ukraine, was distributed in Brussels on Monday.
The European Union strongly condemned the illegal organization by the Russian Federation of so-called "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, namely in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as in parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, stating that these votes represented another blatant violation by Russia of international law, in particular the UN Charter, as well as the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In this regard, the EU called on Russia to respect Ukraine's internationally recognized borders and sovereignty, reiterating that it does not and will never recognize either the holding of these so-called "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or their results. It assured that sanctions would be applied to persons involved in organizing these fictitious elections or running as candidates in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as to those responsible for undermining the possibility of holding free and fair elections in Russia itself.
In addition, the European Union reaffirmed its unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, urging that Russia must stop its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, agree to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, and immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw its troops and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine.
Regarding the elections in Russia itself, the High Representative stated that they once again highlighted the ongoing and deep erosion of democracy in Russia, which is taking place in an increasingly authoritarian political environment, noting that the lack of a level playing field for all participants was further complicated by Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the ongoing illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories.
The statement emphasized that the Russian authorities continue to step up systematic and institutionalized domestic and transnational repression to prevent any democratic opposition forces from participating in the struggle against the status quo, and that the decision to bar candidates from the Yabloko party from participating in the elections on the federal list further limited the choice for Russian voters by removing one of the last opposition forces and the only party with an anti-war program from the electoral process.
The text also pointed to such facts as the large-scale abuse of administrative and judicial resources to eliminate all those who opposed Russia's illegal war of aggression, deprive Russian voters of a real choice regarding the future of their country, and significantly limit Russians' access to independent information, adding that the European Union and its member states will continue to support the important work of Russian civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and independent media.
Furthermore, the EU expressed regret over Russian's decision not to invite OSCE observers to these elections, stating that this once again demonstrated Russian’s disregard for the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating states and deprived Russian voters and institutions of the opportunity to receive an impartial and independent assessment of the elections.
