Arsen Avakov: to hold illegal elections in sovereign Ukrainian territory in violation of all norms of international law is unacceptable!
16 March 2018Today, on March 16, 2018, the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov summoned Mr.Vorob’jev, the chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The head of MIA informed Russian diplomat of the official position of the Ukrainian side concerning March 18, 2018, elections of the President of RF.
Below is the MIA official position:
Statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in connection with the elections of the President of the Russian Federation scheduled for March 18, 2018
According to the note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine No. 610/23-110-236 of February 21, 2018, Ukraine delivered a strong protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and demanded not to hold elections on March 18, 2018, in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that voting in the premises of diplomatic and consular missions of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine would be possible only if the Russian Federation fully complies with the aforementioned requirement of the Ukrainian side.
To date, the Russian Federation has not abandoned its unlawful intentions.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine declares that holding illegal elections in sovereign Ukrainian territory in violation of all norms of international law is unacceptable!
In this context, noting the aggressive hybrid war of Russia against Ukraine, the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the occupation of parts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine and the attempt to conduct illegal elections in this sovereign Ukrainian territory in violation of all norms of international law, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine decided that it is not possible to hold elections, violating the laws of Ukraine, in the territory of diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine informs that on Sunday, March 18, 2018, the security regime for diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine in the cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Odessa, and Lviv will not provide access to these facilities for citizens of the Russian Federation to vote in elections.
Given the public protests in Ukrainian society, the disregard from the Russian side of legitimate demands of the Ukrainian side, and in order to avoid provocations and possible grave consequences the units of the National Police and the National Guard will ensure on that day proper protection of all diplomatic missions and institutions, as well as adjacent territories, in accordance with the Vienna Convention. Access to these institutions will be granted exclusively to persons with diplomatic status. Other persons and citizens of the Russian Federation will not be admitted to the territory of diplomatic missions on this day.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs appeals to diplomats and citizens of the Russian Federation with a request to obey the legitimate demands of Ukraine and not to provoke the situation, to observe the public order and laws of Ukraine.
