UN: So-called elections in the occupied areas of Ukraine have no legal grounds

The United Nations has condemned the so-called elections that Russia is trying to hold in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

This was stated by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for European, Central Asian and American Affairs, Miroslav Jenča, during his speech at the UN Security Council.

"We are concerned over reports of Russian Federation holding so-called elections in areas of Ukraine currently under temporary military control of the Russian Federation," Jenca said.

He added that these "elections" have no legal grounds. 

"These latest illegal attempts to organise new so-called electoral processes in the occupied areas of Ukraine further undermine the prospects for peace," the official said.

He reminded that the anniversary of the "illegal attempt of the Russian Federation" to annex Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions through pseudo-referendums is approaching. 

"I wish to reiterate that the United Nations remains fully committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters," the Assistant Secretary-General added.

It will be recalled that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the United States would never recognise Russia's claims to any sovereign territory of Ukraine.