Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Russia’s organized ‘elections’ in the occupied territory of Ukraine

Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the 'governor elections' arranged by Russia between 12 and 14 September in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, Sevastopol.

The illegal 'elections' held in the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine constitute a gross violation of international law and of the Ukrainian Constitution. These 'elections' do not provide any legal basis for the legitimacy of the occupying power, and therefore neither the 'elections' themselves nor their results are or will be recognised by the international community. The position of the international community on the territorial integrity of Ukraine is enshrined in UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262, adopted on 27 March 2014, and subsequent resolutions.

Lithuania consistently supports Ukraine's political independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. The resolution adopted by the Lithuanian Parliament on 8 May 2025 reaffirms that Lithuania will never recognise the illegal occupation and annexation, de jure or de facto, of the Crimean Peninsula and parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Lithuania stands in firm solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories, who bravely resist the illegal actions of the occupying power.

Lithuania condemns the ongoing mass and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Crimea, especially against the Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians still living on the peninsula. Such violations were clearly identified by the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment of 25 June 2024 in a cross-border case brought by Ukraine against Russia. In addition, the International Court of Justice in its decision of 31 January 2024 also found that Russia violated the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination with respect to Crimean Tatars.

We call on Russia to immediately stop violating the rights and freedoms of all persons in occupied territories, and to release all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens, including Crimean Tatars, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists.

We demand that Russia immediately cease its military aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its troops from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine, and respect Ukraine's political independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. A just, lasting, and sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the full return of all temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, to Ukraine. These are the founding principles of the UN Charter and international law, which cannot be the subject of negotiations.

Lithuania will continue to call on the international community to increase comprehensive pressure on Russia to cease aggression and to provide all necessary support to Ukraine until its final victory over the aggressor.