The President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, Marc Cools, has made the following statement:

“I strongly condemn the plans by the Russian Federation to organise presidential elections in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.”

“The illegal conduct of such so-called elections and compelling the citizens of Ukraine to vote in them represents a gross violation of international law and the rights of citizens protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, and yet another attempt by the Russian Federation to legalise the temporary occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories.”

These plans have also been condemned by the Congress Bureau in its Declaration on the second anniversary of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, which will be debated during the 46th Congress session in Strasbourg, 26-28 March 2024.

“These so-called elections coincide with ten years since the annexation by the Russian Federation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in 2014, which the Congress strongly condemned.”

“I reiterate that we stand united with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people at this decisive time.”