UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday that he was “deeply concerned” by Moscow’s plans to hold referendums on the accession of Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation starting on Friday.
“I am deeply concerned about reports of plans to organize so-called ‘referendums’ in areas of Ukraine that are not currently under government control,” Guterres told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
According to the Secretary-General, “any annexation of the territory of a State by another State as a result of the threat or use of force is a violation of the UN Charter and international law.”
Guterres’ position follows a speech delivered on Wednesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he announced the mobilization of 300,000 reservists for the war in Ukraine, the holding of referendums for the annexation of Ukrainian territories and promised to appeal to “all the means at their disposal. his readiness “to protect the country, alluding to nuclear weapons, adding:” this is not a bluff “.
The incendiary statements by the Russian head of state provoked immediate reactions from various leaders and international organizations, who condemned his speech.
On Tuesday, pro-Russian officials in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporyjia and Kherson regions announced their intention to hold referendums between September 23 and 27 on the accession of these territories to the Russian Federation.
The announcement was immediately criticized by Western countries and international organizations, who detected in this measure a new attempt by Vladimir Putin to escalate the conflict.
The Russian-speaking authorities in Crimea organized a referendum on joining Russia in 2014, the result of which legitimized Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula.
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.
The UN presented as confirmed since the beginning of the war 5,916 civilian deaths and 8,616 wounded, highlighting that these figures are far below the real ones.
Source: TSF
