There can't be legitimate elections by Russia in annexed Crimea - Austrian president

14:37, 14.03.2018 1 min read

Elections of the Russian president on the territory of the annexed Crimea cannot be legitimate, Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen has said.

"From the Austrian point of view, it is clear that the annexation of Crimea was, is and will be illegal. And this is also the European Union's stance. Therefore, there cannot be legitimate elections to the Russian parliament or president in this territory," Alexander Van der Bellen said in a joint meeting with President Ukraine Petro Poroshenko with media representatives in Kyiv on Wednesday.

At the same time he stressed: "This is not only my point of view. It is the unequivocal point of view of the whole Austrian government."