Five countries have publicly denounced Russia’s decision to extend its recent legislative elections into Ukrainian territory currently under Russian military control. The governments argue that allowing voting to take place in these occupied regions amounts to a violation of international law, since sovereignty over the areas remains legally disputed and unrecognized by most of the international community.
Russia has for years organized elections for its national parliament, the State Duma, in areas it seized from Ukraine, including parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Moscow claims these regions as annexed Russian territory following referendums widely dismissed internationally as illegitimate and conducted under military duress. Ukraine and its allies maintain that these territories remain sovereign Ukrainian land under the UN Charter, and that any elections held there without Kyiv’s consent are null and void.
The five nations’ joint criticism adds to a long list of diplomatic rebukes Russia has faced since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Critics say that staging elections in occupied zones is not just symbolic but part of a broader effort by Moscow to normalize its territorial claims and present the annexations as permanent, settled facts on the ground.
The condemnation underscores the continuing rift between Russia and much of the international community over the legal status of these contested regions, with no resolution in sight as the war continues.
For more details, read the original report at El Diario de Hoy.
Source: Cinco países rechazan elecciones rusas en territorios ucranianos ocupados (El Diario de Hoy).
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