MOSCOW: The Central Elections Commission of Russia announced on Monday its decision to hold voting for the upcoming Russian presidential election in four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—territories the Kremlin annexed last year. Despite lacking full military control over these regions, the commission stated that the voting will proceed as scheduled in March.
The Central Elections Commission vice-president Nikolay Bulayev stated, “The decision was adopted unanimously,” as reported by the state-run news agency TASS. The election is set to take place over a three-day period from March 15 to 17.
Vladimir Putin, widely expected to seek and secure a fifth term, faces limited opposition, given the imprisonment or exile of most Russian opposition figures. Five parties have been granted the right to nominate a candidate for the 2024 vote without the need to collect signatures, all of which endorse Kremlin policies, including the military offensive in Ukraine.
Ukraine Urges International Community to Condemn Russia’s Intensions
In response to the announcement, Ukraine urged the international community to strongly condemn Russia’s intention to hold presidential elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories. Kyiv also called on Western nations to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for the decision.
This move by Russia is not unprecedented, as Moscow has previously conducted elections in the occupied regions of Ukraine, actions consistently denounced by Kyiv and Western nations as invalid. In September, Russia held ballots for local officials in the four Ukrainian regions, and a year earlier, it conducted a “referendum” leading to the annexation of these territories.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 escalated tensions in the region, and subsequent elections in the occupied territories have drawn strong condemnation from the international community.
