Parliament calls on global community not to recognize Russia’s sham ‘referenda’ in Ukraine

“The Russian Federation, conducting full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, continues to annex the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine by holding the so-called referenda. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers illegal the decisions of the occupation administrations of the Russian Federation within the temporarily occupied areas of the Luhansk region, Donetsk region, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region on holding pseudo-referenda to join the Russian Federation, which is a defiant violation of the fundamental regulations and principles of international law, the Constitution of Ukraine and current legislation, and is directed against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine,” the statement reads.

According to the document, such actions are a continuation of Russia’s attempt to annex the territory of Ukraine and are used as an instrument of political pressure by the Russian criminal authorities on the global community, enabling Russia to threaten the world with the use of nuclear weapons and pose a direct threat to the existence of not only the European continent but humanity in general.

The Verkhovna Rada noted that the world should realize the existence of a real threat of causing damage to Ukraine’s nuclear power facilities due to the Russian armed aggression.

In addition, a partial mobilization announced by Putin indicates the deepening and expansion of the criminal intensions of the Russian leadership towards Ukraine, which will lead to a new wave of escalation in the Russian armed aggression and expanding the scale of the war against Ukraine, and will have a devastating effect on both Europe and the world.

The Verkhovna Rada emphasized Ukraine’s undeniable right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity; condemned any referenda illegally organized and held within the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine; urged the international community not to recognize the results of such referenda and to warn the aggressor state against organizing and holding such referenda.