The European Union is preparing sanctions against individuals who organised the Russian “elections” or stood as candidates in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
This is stated in a statement by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
“Individuals involved in organising these sham ‘elections’ or nominated as candidates in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, as well as those responsible for undermining the possibility of holding free and fair elections in Russia itself, will be subject to sanctions,” the statement says.
The EU stressed that it recognises neither the holding of these “elections” nor their results.
The European Union also condemns the organisation of so-called “elections” in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol, and in parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
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The EU said such “elections” are yet another violation by Russia of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The European Union urged Russia to respect Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders and sovereignty.
The EU also criticised the conduct of elections within Russia itself.
The Russian authorities did not allow candidates from the Yabloko party onto the federal list. The EU said this further restricted the choice available to Russian voters, as Yabloko was described as one of the last remaining opposition forces and the only party with an anti-war platform.
The European Union is also concerned by Russia’s decision not to invite OSCE observers to the elections. This deprived Russian voters and institutions of the opportunity to receive an impartial and independent assessment of the electoral process.