During his meetings with US decision-makers in Washington D.C. in March 2024, High Representative of the EU Joseph Borrell emphasised that Ukrainian victory is essential for Europe's security, but also for the US, not only out of solidarity, but also out of US self-interest.
In 2014, Russian troops forcefully obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a referendum, which was illegitimate under international law and then illegally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control. The annexation has been condemned by the UN, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. No international body has recognised the so-called referendum, which was organised by a self-proclaimed Crimean leadership lacking democratic legitimacy and installed by armed Russian military personnel following the seizure of public buildings.
Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation said Ivan Syrskyi is the son of Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi's ex-wife. Colonel-General Syrskyi did not adopt Ivan, which is why Ivan is not his stepson. Ivan and his mother have been living in Australia for 14 years. Oleksandr Syrskyi does not communicate with them and is not responsible for the actions of his ex-wife's son. Ivan Syrskyi is a private person and his actions cannot be attributed to the Ukrainian authorities.
In the video, issued on 20 February 2024, Ivan Syrskyi did not ask Putin to grant him Russian citizenship or say he wanted to cast a ballot. Answering a question in the Russian Consulate General in Sydney whether he was planning to ask for a Russian passport, he said: 'I am planning.' He also said: 'Glory to Russia' and some other phrases, without mentioning Putin. Ivan Syrskyi actually asked for Russian citizenship in 2021. This was 3 years before Oleksandr Syrskyi was appointed Commander-in-Chief.
The press service of the Holy See denied the claim in a comment to the fact-checking website POLYGRAPH.info. The false report continued to feature on the main website of RIA Novosti, Russia's leading state-owned media organisation.
According to international law, Crimea is a part of Ukraine. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning Russia's occupation of Crimea and stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. No international body has recognised the so-called referendum, which was organised by a self-proclaimed Crimean leadership lacking democratic legitimacy and installed by armed Russian military personnel following the seizure of public buildings.
No credible evidence was provided to back the claim. "The SVR, the main successor to the KGB's First Directorate foreign spying service, advanced the accusation of the US planned cyberattacks on Russian electoral system but did not set out any evidence for its assertions," Reuters noted. Russia has for several years refused to formally invite OSCE election observers to monitor elections within its territory. The most recent instance when the OSCE observed elections in Russia was in 2018.
In 2014, Russian troops obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a referendum, which was illegitimate under international law, and then illegally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control. The annexation has been condemned by the UN, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. A year after the illegal annexation, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the so-called referendum.
The referendum in Crimea was neither legitimate nor democratic. On 26 February 2014, the Russian Federation deployed members of its armed forces to gain control over parts of the Ukrainian territory without the consent of the Ukrainian Government. The next day a referendum was announced and a vote was held on March 16, 2014, in the Peninsula of Crimea. The territory was then controlled by Russian forces, and neither Ukrainian nor Russian election code was observed.
Russia's economy has felt serious impact from the international sanctions its unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The ruble has weakened and inflation is soaring. Despite Moscow's welcoming efforts, Foreign Direct Investment is falling. Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens have fled the country since the outbreak the invasion. Sanctions on Russia's banking and financial system, the embargo on electronic components and the price caps on Russian oil and petroleum products have also led to serious consequences for the Russian economy.
In 2014, Russian troops forcibly obliged the parliament of Crimea to organise a referendum, which was illegitimate under international law, and then illegally annexed the peninsula and brought it under Russian territorial control. The annexation has been condemned by the UN, stating that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula.