Moscow has strongly criticized Washington’s statements regarding the legitimacy of elections in the regions it controls in Ukraine, labeling them as “interference in Russia’s internal affairs.”
In a statement released today, the Russian embassy said, “We have noticed statements by high-ranking officials in the administration regarding the alleged illegitimacy of the elections in the newly acquired regions in Russia.”
“We are facing threats of another wave of sanctions, including against international observers expected to provide impartial assessments of the electoral process,” according to the Russian news agency Sputnik.
The embassy added that US authorities do not abandon their long-standing habit of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, as they consider it their right to offer recommendations and warnings regarding foreign election campaigns.
Furthermore, the embassy pointed out that Washington is mistaken if it believes it can intimidate Moscow.
It clarified that the residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, made their legal choices through referendums.
The embassy highlighted that a similar process had occurred with the residents of the Crimean Peninsula and Sevastopol.
Earlier this month, Russia initiated early voting in regional elections in the territories it occupies in Ukraine, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, which Moscow announced its annexation of last year, although it does not exercise full control over them.
