The European Union has once again stressed that elections to Russia’s State Duma cannot apply to the territory of Ukraine.
This is stated in a declaration by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas on behalf of the European Union.
“The State Duma elections held by Russia on 18–20 September highlighted the continued and deepening erosion of democracy in Russia, taking place in an increasingly authoritarian political environment. The absence of a level playing field for all participants was further exacerbated by Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine and its ongoing illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories,” the statement reads.
The European Union “strongly condemns the illegal organisation 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 the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.”
These so-called elections constitute “yet another blatant violation by Russia of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The European Union called on Russia to respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders and sovereignty and reaffirmed that it “does not and will never recognise either the holding of these so-called elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or their results.”
“Sanctions will be imposed on individuals involved in organising these sham elections or who stood as candidates in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as those responsible for undermining the possibility of free and fair elections in Russia itself,” the statement said.
The European Union also reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
“Russia must end its illegal military aggression against Ukraine, agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine,” Kallas said on behalf of the EU.
The statement noted that the Russian authorities continue to intensify systematic and institutionalised domestic and transnational repression in order to prevent any democratic opposition forces from challenging the status quo. According to the EU, the decision to bar candidates from the Yabloko party from running on the federal list further restricted the choices available to Russian voters by removing from the electoral process one of the last remaining opposition forces and the only party with an anti-war platform.
The EU noted that even before the elections, independent analysts and observers had reported widespread abuse of administrative and judicial resources aimed at eliminating those who oppose the war, depriving Russian voters of a genuine choice regarding their country’s future and severely restricting access to independent information.
In this context, the European Union and its member states reaffirmed their continued support for Russian civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent media.
The European Union also expressed regret over the Russian Federation’s decision not to invite OSCE observers.
“This once again demonstrates the Russian Federation’s characteristic disregard for the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating States and deprives Russian voters and institutions of the opportunity to receive an impartial and independent assessment of these elections,” the statement reads.
