The European Union condemns and does not recognise the “so-called” elections held by Russia in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, or their results, Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said.
According to Kallas, the parliamentary elections held by Russia from September 18 to 20 once again highlighted the ongoing and deepening erosion of democracy in Russia, taking place in an increasingly authoritarian political environment. She added that the lack of a level playing field was further aggravated by Russia’s war against Ukraine and its occupation of Ukrainian territories.
The High Representative pointed out that Russian authorities had further intensified systematic and institutionalised repression, both domestically and across borders, in order to exclude all democratic opposition forces from political competition. She stressed that the exclusion of candidates from the anti-war and opposition Yabloko party from the federal party list had further narrowed the choices available to Russian voters.
She said that, in the period leading up to the elections, independent analysts and observers had already reported widespread abuse of administrative and judicial instruments aimed at removing from the political arena all actors who oppose Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
“The European Union and its Member States continue to support the important work of Russian civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent media,” she stressed.
On behalf of the EU, she also expressed regret that Russia had not invited observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the elections. According to the EU position, this meant that Russian voters and institutions were denied an impartial and independent assessment of the conduct of the elections.
The statement also strongly condemned the “so-called” elections organised by Russia in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia, in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. According to the EU, these elections violate international law, including the UN Charter, as well as Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The European Union called on Russia to respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders and sovereignty.
