Statement by the Foreign Ministry on the 3rd anniversary of the Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions

30 September 2025 marks three years since the Kremlin regime carried out the annexation of parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which remain temporarily occupied by Russian forces.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania once again strongly condemns this gross violation of international law and expresses its firm support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Lithuania does not and under no circumstances will ever recognise the illegal occupation of the Ukrainian territories by Russia, either de jure or de facto. This stance was reaffirmed by the resolution of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania adopted on 8 May 2025, regarding Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Russia's continued attempts to forcefully redraw the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine on the basis of falsified pseudo-referenda as a pretext and legitimise the illegal control of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine grossly violate the norms of international law, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. These actions are null and void, without any legal force and will not be recognised, just as Lithuania will never recognise the annexation of Crimea, which marked the beginning of Russia's against Ukraine in 2014.

We condemn Russia's gross and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents remaining in the occupied territories of Ukraine. These include the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, their militarization, the unlawful detention of civilian hostages, and the torture and killing of both civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war. All those responsible for these illegal acts must be held accountable.

We demand that Russia immediately cease its aggression in Ukraine and withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine. Lithuania will continue to support Ukraine by all means, urge the international community to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, and hold its top leaders to account for these illegal actions. Ukraine's victory over the aggressor is essential to ensure peace, justice, and security throughout Europe.