Five non-EU countries condemn Russian State Duma elections in occupied Ukraine

Five non-EU countries condemned Russia's so-called "elections" to the State Duma held on Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories, calling for organizers to be held accountable. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK issued a joint statement. The countries stated the pseudo-elections in Crimea and occupied parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions constitute a gross violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and the UN Charter. They emphasized these territories remain part of Ukraine and the vote cannot change their status under international law. The statement described the vote as part of a broader occupation system imposing Russian administration, law, media, education, language, and citizenship, and cited reports of enforced disappearances, detentions, and torture. Russia held the mock elections on September 18-20, 2026, and the European Union also said it does not recognize them.