Russia decides to hold "presidential elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine

The affected regions include Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, with the elections scheduled from March 15 to 17. This move follows an earlier decision to organize similar "elections" in occupied Crimea.

The announcement, made on Monday, Dec. 11, has been met with strong opposition from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ukraine declared that any voting in these territories would be both illegal and devoid of meaning, constituting a blatant violation of the established norms and principles of international law.

The West has consistently responded to Moscow's previous attempts at pseudo-elections in Ukrainian territories by imposing sanctions on Russian officials.

Vladimir Putin declared his candidacy for the Russian presidential elections 2024 on Dec. 8, seeking his fifth term in office. Putin reset his presidential terms In 2021, potentially extending his tenure until 2036.

In response to Putin's election bid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Western leaders would need to make a crucial decision on whether to recognize the legitimacy of Putin's victory after the voting in Russia.