Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing – 19 September 2016, 6 PM Kyiv time

The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported that yesterday towards Luhansk, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions in Popasne. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Avdiyivka and Verkhnotroitske. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Starohnativka, Maryinka and Pavlopil. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed and one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “Ukraine condemns in the strongest possible terms the organization by Russia in the temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol of elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the seventh convocation. Having occupied Crimea as a result of the armed aggression against Ukraine and forcefully imposing its legal framework over the peninsula, the Russian Federation continues its gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law […]   Inclusion of the integral part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine into the Russian united federal constituency and creation in the Crimean peninsula of four separate single-member majority constituencies is the blunt violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law. In this connection the voting results and the terms of office for four members of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, elected in Crimea by majority vote system, and for 225 members of parliament, elected by proportional vote system, are illegitimate as well as null and void. This puts under the further question the legitimacy of the whole State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. We reiterate that by the UNGA Resolution A/RES/68/262 ‘Territorial Integrity of Ukraine’, adopted by 100 states, the UN General Assembly called upon all States, international organizations and specialized institutions not to recognize any alteration to the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol and to refrain from any actions or steps that could be interpreted as recognition of any such altered status. Ukraine counts on consistency of our partners’ position and their adherence to international law and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. We call upon not to recognize the results of elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation as regards to voting in the territory of the occupied Crimean peninsula. Ukraine will forward to all international partners a list of persons, involved directly in the organization of this electoral farce in Crimea, and of those who participated in the illegitimate elections for them to be included further into the sanction lists. Once more Ukraine demands from the Russian Federation to stop immediately its armed aggression against Ukraine and deoccupy the seized Ukrainian territories, withdrawing from there the Russian troops.”

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Dion stated on 18 September, “Crimea remains an integral part of Ukraine and Canada will not recognize the legitimacy of Russian Duma elections taking place there.” On 16 September, US State Department spokesperson J. Kirby stated, “The United States does not recognize the legitimacy, and will not recognize the outcome, of the Russian Duma elections planned for Russian-occupied Crimea on September 18th. Our position on Crimea is clear: the peninsula remains an integral part of Ukraine. Crimea-related sanctions against Russia will remain until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine.” The EU External Action Service stated, “The European Union has not recognised the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and therefore does not recognise the holding of elections in the Crimean peninsula.  […] The European Union remains unwavering in its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy Annual Meeting (YES) in Kyiv, former US Secretary of Defense L. Panetta (2006-2011) stated, “I think it is very important for Ukraine to not only continue to strengthen its economy, and its government, but to also strengthen its military. The United States, obviously, along with NATO, is providing trainers, equipment, and training exercises. But I would take the  next step, and provide defensive weapons to Ukraine, to make very clear to Russia that if it tries  to do anything militarily, it will have to pay a price […]You cannot deal with a bully from a position of weakness. I have dealt with the Russians, I have dealt with their intelligence people, I have dealt with the leadership there, I think you can deal with them, but you have to deal with them from strength […] We have to build strong alliances that make very clear to Russia that they are not just dealing with the United States or with Ukraine, but they are dealing with a coalition of Nations.”