Madam Chairperson,

By cynically disregarding the generally recognized principles and norms of international law, the aggressor state - the russian federation, has organized and held the so-called "elections of the president of the russian federation” on March 15-17, 2024 in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

We stress that the so-called “presidential elections” in the occupied territories of Ukraine are illegal, their results are null and void, and have any legal consequences whatsoever. russia’s actions grossly violate the norms and principles of international law, OSCE commitments and national legislation of Ukraine.

We thank the OSCE ODIHR, Parliamentary Assembly and Chairpersonship for their official reaction with the strong condemnation of russia’s illegal elections in Ukraine, stressing that the conduct of “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories violates the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, which is counter to the fundamental principles of the OSCE, the UN Charter and international law.

It is also important to note that combined with the absence of any signs of compliance with generally recognized democratic principles and election standards, as well as physical elimination of opponents by the kremlin’s regime, russia’s actions delegitimize the results of these "pseudo-elections" also on the territory of the russian federation.

russia's dictatorship has long had nothing to do with democracy, including open and competitive elections. vladimir putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of committing serious international crimes, has been in power for 24 years, not through the free expression of the people's will, but through manipulation of the russian federation's Constitution, total propaganda, the suppression of any free media, dissent voices, civil society and genuine opposition.

As we witness, like in russia itself, the democratic institutions, including elections, are exploited and manipulated by the aggressor state to consolidate the regime of lawlessness, dictatorship, and terror in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.   

putin's aggressive and expansionist regime poses an unprecedented challenge to Europe, Central Asia, and other parts of the world that may be affected if russian terror spreads further. Ignoring this will only amplify the threat to international peace and security.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.