The Russian ambassador in Lisbon, Mikhail Kamynin, has transferred this Monday to the Portuguese Government that the holding of referendums in the Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia corresponds to “a right enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”.
“[Com] holding these referendums has become [possível] the realization of the inalienable right of the inhabitants of the republics of the Donbass regions [Donetsk e Lugansk]Zaporizhia and Kherson, enshrined in the UN Charter, which directly affirms the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples”, highlighted the Russian Embassy in Lisbon, in a statement, after its ambassador was summoned by the Portuguese Government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday conveyed to the Russian ambassador in Lisbon the “firm rejection” and “unequivocal condemnation” of the Portuguese Government to the “illegal” annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia.
As a reaction to this meeting, the Russian embassy in Lisbon confirmed, in a statement, that it was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for “a conversation” with the director general of Foreign Policy, Rui Vinhas, who conveyed to him the unfavorable position of Portugal about annexation. by Russia from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.
“In response, the Portuguese partners were informed of the Russian position set forth in President Vladimir Putin’s speech at the ceremony in the (…) Kremlin on September 30, 2022, the full text of which was delivered to Rui Vinhas,” he said. . the Russian Embassy in Portugal.
“Also during the conversation, some aspects of the current geopolitical situation in the world were briefly discussed,” the Russian embassy added in the press release.
On Thursday, the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN), António Guterres, directly conveyed to the Russian ambassador to the organization his opposition to the annexation of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
António Guterres warned Russia that the annexation of Ukrainian territories “will have no legal value and deserves to be condemned”, stressing that “it cannot be reconciled with the international legal framework”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin formalized this Friday in Moscow the annexation of four Ukrainian regions -Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia-, areas partially occupied by Russia in the east and south of Ukraine, after the holding of referendums considered illegal by large part of the international community.
The Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, today ratified the annexation treaties of the Ukrainian regions,
The four regions represent about 15% of Ukraine’s territory, or about 100,000 square kilometers, a little more than the size of countries like Hungary and Portugal or a little less than Bulgaria, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 13 million people -more than six million internally displaced persons and more than 7.4 million to European countries-, according to the most recent data from the UN, which places this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the generality of the international community, which has responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing them on Russia. political and economic sanctions.
Source: TSF
