The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns illegitimate "elections" held in some parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions by illegal armed groups on November 2. This so-called "vote" will have serious consequences for Russia's future relations with the international community.
The ministry said this in a statement posted on its website.
"The vote organized by the leaders of so-called 'Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics' escalates the conflict in the east of Ukraine and will have severe repercussions for Russia's relations with the international community. Further invasion by the Russian army into Ukraine and continuous violation of the cease-fire by the illegal armed groups raise particular concern," reads the statement.
According to the statement, these acts, directly supported by Russia, represent a gross violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, contradict international law, the laws of Ukraine and the September 5 Minsk agreement, and also do not allow for a free expression of political will by the citizens in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"The 'local authorities' formed on the basis of such farce 'elections' will have no democratic legitimacy," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.
It also said that the only legitimate base for municipal elections in Ukraine is the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine, in particular, the law on a special status for some parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which envisions the holding of municipal elections on December 7.