Russia's holding of so-called "elections" to the State Duma of Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is a farce that has nothing to do with either democratic elections or the will of the people, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (MFA).
"Holding "elections" in the temporarily occupied territories is illegal, and their results are null and void. This constitutes a violation of Ukraine's national legislation and international law, which strips the entire process of parliamentary elections in Russia – as well as the composition of the Russian parliament – of any remaining legitimacy," the MFA said on a statement on the Telegram channel.
The ministry appealed to the international community, urging it to pay attention to the Moscow regime's plans to use the results of these "elections" to legitimize further aggression and the continuation of war and terror.
"We emphasize that no "vote" held under the invaders' control changes the internationally recognized status of Ukraine's temporarily occupied territory. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, have been, are, and will remain an integral part of Ukraine," the MFA said.
Ukraine also appeals to the international community not to recognize the election results.
"We call on the international community, all states and international organizations that respect international law and the UN Charter, not to recognize the Russian "elections" to the State Duma as having been held in accordance with democratic standards, to condemn their conduct in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and other states, and to increase pressure on the aggressor state," the Foreign Ministry said.
