G7 nations condemn sham Russian elections in occupied Ukraine

The foreign ministers of the seven of the world’s leading economies have condemned Russian efforts to stage illegal elections in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

The G7 group which consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom,  the United States along with the High Representative of the European Union, released a statement “unequivocally” condemning the staging of sham elections on territory held by Russia in Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as in Crimea.

“Russia has no legitimate basis for any such actions on the territory of Ukraine. The sham 'elections' are a propaganda exercise aimed at legitimizing Russia’s illegal seizure of Ukrainian territory,” the statement reads.

The statement references a UN General Assembly vote in Oct. 2022 that saw 143 states vote to condemn Russia’s attempted and illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory to emphasize that no territory gained by the use of force will be recognized as legal internationally.

On Sept. 30, 2022 Russian announced the unilateral annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, despite not even occupying large sections of the sovereign Ukrainian land.

Only five countries voted against the General Assembly vote; Russia, Belarus, Syria, Nicaragua, and North Korea.

“Russia’s attempt to create a situation of fait-accompli through these sham “elections” will not alter our approach nor our support to Ukraine as it fights to reclaim its internationally-recognized territory,” the statement concludes.

“We will stand with the Ukrainian people and continue to provide the financial, humanitarian, security and diplomatic support Ukraine requires for as long as it takes.”

Council of Europe denounces Russia’s sham ‘elections’ in occupied parts of Ukraine

“Held in flagrant violation of international law, (the sham “elections”) constitute a further illustration of the denial by the Russian Federation of the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law upheld by the Council of Europe,” the council said in a statement.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek