G7 Condemns Elections In Ukrainian Regions Seized By Russia

The G7 group of nations have condemned the staging of sham “elections” held by Russia in Ukrainian territories it seized.

The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the High Representative of the European Union said that these elections” are further violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and of the UN Charter.

Russia has no legitimate basis for any such actions on the territory of Ukraine, the ministers said in a statement. The elections are a propaganda exercise aimed at legitimizing Russia’s illegal seizure of Ukrainian territory, according to them.

Russian authorities conducted regional and municipal elections in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia oblasts and Crimea last week amid allegations of vote rigging.

State-run news agencies reported victory by big margin for President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party in all the territories.

In October last year, 143 countries voted at the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory, reaffirming that no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal.

The G7 nations vowed that they will never recognize Russia’s illegitimate claims to sovereign Ukrainian territory, and called on all nations to unequivocally reject them.

“Since Russia invaded, it has sought to exercise control through policies designed to instill fear and to suppress Ukrainian culture and identity. These include arbitrary detention, torture, forced deportations, forced passportization, ‘filtration’, and the imposition of Russian law, media, education and currency,” the statement said.

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