“[Com] holding this referendum has become [possível] the realization of the inalienable right of the inhabitants of the republics of the Donbass regions [Donetsk e Lugansk]Zaporijia and Kherson, enshrined in the UN Charter, which directly affirms the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples,” emphasized the Russian Embassy in Lisbon, in a statement, after her ambassador was summoned by the Portuguese government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs today conveyed to the Russian ambassador in Lisbon the “firm rejection” and “unequivocal condemnation” of the Portuguese government of the “illegal” annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia.
In response 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 expressed Portugal’s unfavorable stance on the annexation. transferred by Russia from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporijia.
“In response, the Portuguese partners were informed of the Russian position set out in President Vladimir Putin’s speech at the ceremony in the (…) Kremlin on September 30, 2022, the full text of which was handed over to Rui Vinhas,” said Rui Vinhas. he. 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, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres communicated directly to the Russian ambassador to the organization his opposition to the annexation of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
António Guterres warned Russia that the annexation of Ukrainian territories “will have no legal value and deserves to be condemned”, stressing that “it is not compatible with the international legal framework”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin formalized in Moscow on Friday the annexation of four Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporijia – areas partially occupied by Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine, after holding referendums voted by much of considered illegal by the international community.
The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, ratified the annexation treaties of the Ukrainian regions on Monday (3).
The four regions represent about 15% of Ukraine’s territory, or about 100,000 square kilometers, slightly more than the size of countries like Hungary and Portugal or slightly less than Bulgaria, according to the Spanish agency EFE.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on Feb. 24 has already resulted in more than 13 million people having fled — more than six million internally displaced persons and more than 7.4 million to European countries — according to the most recent UN data, which rank this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (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 arms to Ukraine and Russia of political and economic sanctions.
Source: DN
