Georgian Foreign Ministry Condemns Russian-held Referendums in Ukraine

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs today condemned the illegal referendums launched by Russia on September 23 which are aimed at annexing four occupied regions of Ukraine.

“These attempts for the annexation of Ukraine’s territories are unacceptable,” the MFA emphasized on Twitter. “Georgia firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Notably, no official statement regarding the referendums can be found on the official website of the Georgian MFA.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili was the first member of the Georgian government to address the referendums on 27 September, when she emphasized the need to “categorically condemn the referendums.”

“This is an extremely cynical action by Russia, which is unacceptable for us, and for the world, for civilized people,” President Zurabishvili underscored.

The four-day vote, which drew the ire of and was swiftly dismissed as a sham by Kyiv and the International community, is being held in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have said that people are being prevented from leaving some occupied areas until the vote is over, with armed groups reportedly coercing people into participating.

The referendum was announced two days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial military mobilization on September 21. Tens of thousands of Russian citizens have been trying to escape Russia since, including through the Russo-Georgian Larsi border checkpoint.

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