The Executive Power stressed this Saturday its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and refused to recognize the Russian annexation of four regions of that country through a series of “misnamed referendums”.
This was expressed through a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which it “appeals again” that the government of Vladimir Putin “cease its armed aggression” and proceed to the immediate withdrawal of its forces from the occupied Ukrainian territories.
The Uruguayan government thus makes explicit its non-recognition of the annexation instruments signed and announced this Friday by the Russian Federation of four regions of Ukraine whose population, through alleged popular consultations, voted mostly to go on to belong to Russia. These are Donetsk and Luhansk – already de facto annexed by Moscow since the war in the Donbass unleashed in 2014 -, to which Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are now added.
“As is clearly evident, the declaration of accession (annexation) in a context of aggression against another State is in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and International Law”, Palacio Santos underlined about the result of what he insisted were the “misnamed referendums.” In his view, these votes can never be considered a free and genuine expression of the popular will.
The Uruguayan government thus reiterated its position of support for Ukraine and the integrity of its borders within internationally recognized limits. In turn, he stressed the call for Russia to cease hostilities and proceed to an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of its troops from all occupied Ukrainian territory.
The Foreign Ministry must define, on the other hand, how to process the ukrainian order of initiating legal action against the Frente Amplio leader Sebastián Hagobian for having, precisely, participated as an “observer” in those “referendums”, an action that kyiv defines as an “international crime”.
