The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned recently the Russian Federation’s plan to hold presidential elections in Ukraine’s disputed territories. The decision, announced by Russian lawmakers, signifies an escalation in the ongoing tension between the countries.
As part of this plan, Russian authorities intend to allow voting in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. These territories were illegally annexed by Russia in the backdrop of a war that erupted between the two countries, causing major geopolitical upheaval.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine kickstarted with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. This action led to several incidents that ratcheted up political tensions, ultimately resulting in Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In response to Russia’s election plans, Ukraine maintained that such actions directly undermine any peaceful resolution attempts. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry highlighted that conducting Russian elections on Ukrainian territories not only breaches Ukraine’s constitution and legislation but also contravenes UN Charter-bound norms and principles of international law.
Furthermore, Ukraine insisted that such acts of political maneuvering are not new. It pointed out that Russia has, in the past, ignored condemnations to hold local elections in contested territories. This act was widely criticised by Ukraine and western nations.
Ukraine is urging the international community to denounce Russia’s proposed elections and enforce sanctions on those individuals facilitating these processes. They insist that these elections in no way represent democratic practices and only exist to sustain the current government in place.
Despite this controversy, the incumbent Russian President, Vladimir Putin, expressed his intention to run for re-election and seek a fifth presidential term. Meanwhile, former State Duma member, Boris Nadezhdin, announced his candidacy in parallel, promoting an anti-war agenda.
The elections are scheduled for 15-17th March 2024, with the president’s inauguration to follow on the 7th of May the same year.