皇冠体育app

Mr President,聽

皇冠体育app Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action makes clear that democracy is based on the freely expressed will of the people. 聽

But there was nothing remotely democratic about the recent, so called 鈥渆lections鈥� held in Ukrainian sovereign territory by Russia. Holding elections in Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia 鈥� all Ukrainian territory 鈥� is a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and Ukrainian sovereignty. 皇冠体育appse regions will always be Ukrainian and Russia鈥檚 sham elections does not alter this fact. 聽

Nor were the elections held in Russia democratic. 聽

皇冠体育app vote was neither free nor fair. Its outcome was always clear. It served only to illustrate the severity of repression under President Putin. 聽

Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner.聽Alexei Navalny鈥檚 death just weeks before the election was a tragic reminder of the severity of Putin鈥檚 political repression.聽聽

Russia should release all those detained for opposing its illegal invasion of Ukraine. This includes dual British Russian national Vladimir Kara-Murza who should be released on humanitarian grounds for urgent medical treatment.聽

It鈥檚 well beyond time to end Russia鈥檚 repression at home and the aggression abroad.

Thank you.