~6 0~p>Britain called the fake elections in Russia and in the occupied Ukrainian territories illegal.
Great Britain condemned the pseudo-elections of the Russian President in the temporarily occupied territories Ukraine.
This is evidenced by the statement of the British representative to the OSCE Neil Holland.
“Russia’s aggression began in 2014, when it illegally annexed Crimea. And we have seen the Russian Federation attempting to seize new territories since its full-scale invasion began two years ago. Now, in regions of Ukraine that it claims to have annexed, Russia is holding presidential elections against the will of the Ukrainian people. This is another blatant attempt by Russia to legitimize its illegal presence in Ukraine. And this is another violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the principles fundamental to the Helsinki Final Act,” Holland emphasized.
He added that Britain is joining the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in strongly condemning Russia for holding “presidential elections” in Ukraine, contrary to international law, including the UN Charter.
“These so-called “elections” on the sovereign territory of Ukraine are illegal,” the British representative emphasized.
He also recalled that Russia is trying to erase Ukrainian identity in the temporarily occupied territories due to forced passportization and the imposition of its legislation, media, education and currency. The Russian Federation has also taken further steps to manipulate the demographics of these regions through the migration of the Russian population. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian population is mercilessly repressed and forced out.
“In this environment of fear and intimidation, Ukrainians are expected to take part in these sham elections. Russia has no legal grounds for any such actions on the territory of Ukraine,” Holland emphasized.
Britain said it would never recognize Russia's attempts to consolidate its illegal control over Ukrainian territory, which violates the UN Charter. Holland recalled that the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporozhye regions and Crimea are part of Ukraine.
“Holding sham elections in these regions will not change that fact. The United Kingdom will continue to stand for the freedom and democratic will of the people of Ukraine as they bravely resist Russian aggression in pursuit of an independent and sovereign Ukraine,” Holland said.
Recall that the Russian propaganda media shamelessly demonstrate how the occupiers in the occupied territories of Ukraine imitate the “elections” of the President of the Russian Federation, forcing local pensioners at gunpoint to put their marks under Vladimir Putin. The video footage shows that masked armed occupiers are walking around the apartments of pensioners, under whose supervision people are asked to mark Putin.
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