Ukraine urges world not to recognize Russian 'elections' in occupied territories

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the international community not to recognize elections held by Russia in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, describing the votes as illegal and invalid.

In a statement, the ministry said Russia's elections in the occupied areas have no legal standing and urged countries around the world to refrain from recognizing their outcomes. The ministry also called for increased international pressure on Russia over the issue.

Russia has periodically organized voting processes in Ukrainian territories under its control since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, including areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Ukraine and most Western governments have consistently rejected these votes as illegitimate, arguing they violate international law and Ukraine's sovereignty, given that they take place under military occupation without the participation of the displaced Ukrainian population or independent oversight.

Kyiv has repeatedly urged its international partners to reject the results of such votes and to maintain or strengthen sanctions and other pressure on Moscow in response.

No timeline was given for when the referenced elections took place or further details on which specific occupied areas were involved, based on the ministry's statement.