Following the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation held on 17-19 September 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland reiterates its disappointment with Russian authorities preventing deployment of an OSCE observation mission. Such action calls into question the intentions of the Russian Federation with regards to respecting democratic values and constitutes an unjustifiable attempt to undermine norms which were developed collectively and which apply in all OSCE, UN, and Council of Europe member states.

A consistent, systemic campaign of the Russian Federation directed at Russian civil society, the opposition, and the free media hindered access to independent information, made it impossible for the representatives of the opposition to run in the elections, and severely hampered the ability of Russians to make a choice in accordance with their preferences. Such situation may raise doubts with reference to the legitimacy of the new deputies.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers holding “elections” in the territory of the Crimean Peninsula illegally occupied by the Russian Federation to be unlawful. The Ministry also condemns mass granting of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens and organising electronic voting in the territory of Donbas. The Republic of Poland reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

Łukasz Jasina

Press Spokesperson
Ministry of Foreign Affairs