The Kyiv Independent
News, analyses, investigations, opinions, podcasts and more. On-the-ground reporting from Ukraine
Foreign Ministry calls on allies not to recognize Putin as Russia's legitimate president.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged on May 6 other countries and international organizations not to recognize the results of Russia's most recent presidential election, as well as Vladimir Putin's legitimacy ahead of the inauguration.
Kyiv sees "no legal grounds for recognizing Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia," the ministry said.
According to evidence published by election experts, observers, and media, the March 15-17 presidential election, which Putin "won" with 87% support, was the most rigged in Russia's modern history .
Estimates of vote rigging range from at least 22 million votes to about 31.6 million votes, without taking into account the online voting and the election at gunpoint in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
Russia "brutally" violated the principles of international law when it organized the so-called voting in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson oblasts, and Crimea, Ukraine's ministry said.
Subscribe to Ukraine Daily newsletter
News from Ukraine in your inbox
"Despite warnings from authoritative international institutions, the Russian Federation's actions once again demonstrate that its leadership does not recognize its responsibility and is unwilling to end the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine," the ministry's statement read.
Moscow also violated the provisions of "numerous international documents that form the basis of the modern system of international relations," including the Charter of the United Nations, according to the statement.
"Based on the above, as well as taking into account the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine sees no legal grounds for recognizing him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the Russian Federation," the ministry said.
The Russian presidential election was widely viewed as neither free nor fair, and a number of Western countries have already said they will boycott the inauguration scheduled to be held in Moscow on May 7. Some of Ukraine's allies have yet to confirm whether their representatives will be in attendance at the event.
The European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on April 25 condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's March presidential election as illegitimate.
Ukraine’s Navy says it destroyed Russian sea minesweeper Kovrovets overnight.
The report refutes Moscow’s earlier claims of having repelled all strikes on occupied Crimea overnight.
Air Force: All 37 Russian attack drones targeting Ukraine overnight shot down.
Russian forces targeted eight regions across Ukraine overnight, Kyiv, Odesa, and Vinnytsia oblasts, according to the Air Force’s report.
Moscow claims it repelled Kyiv’s ‘attempts’ to strike occupied Crimea, bordering Russian regions.
Moscow claims that it had shot down nine U.S.-provided long-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles, and a drone over Crimea.
General Staff: Russia has lost 492,290 troops in Ukraine since Feb.
This number includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Next Ramstein summit to be held on May 20
The next Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) will occur on May 20.
Ukraine unleashes 100 kamikaze drones on Putin's oil refineries in one of heaviest strikes of war.
Ukraine carried out one of the biggest kamikaze drone attacks of the entire war last night, to hit back at Putin's forces during the recent Russian offensive on Kharkiv. The Sun delivers breaking news, latest gossip and incredible exclusives aroun...
Former FBI special agent: 'Don't underestimate this threat'.
Fox News contributor and former FBI special agent Nicole Parker reacts to the Biden admin refusing to reveal terror watchlist nationalities and an increase in illegal Chinese border crossings on 'Fox News @ Night.' Subscribe to Fox News! Watch mor...
Liverpool manager Klopp would 'vote for scrapping VAR'.
In his final news conference as #Liverpool manager, Jurgen #Klopp says he doesn't believe "VAR is the problem, but the way we use it is the problem". #VAR #football #LiverpoolFC #LFC #JurgenKlopp #sport #soccer #newsconference #PremierLeague #EPL ...
Watch live: Sentencing of Moroccan asylum seeker guilty of murdering stranger 'for people of Gaza'.
Moroccan asylum seeker, Ahmed Ali Alid, 45, was found guilty of murdering a stranger in a rampage motivated by the conflict in Gaza and attempting to kill his housemate, a Christian convert, stabbing him in his bed as he slept. He prowled the stre...
'I would vote for scrapping VAR,' says Jurgen Klopp in final Liverpool press conference.
Jurgen Klopp has said he would be in favour of scrapping VAR in his final press conference as Liverpool FC manager. Earlier this week, it was announced the Premier League will face a vote to scrap the use of video assistant referees on June 6. It ...
Mark Levin: Part of this is 'performance art'
Fox News host Mark Levin joins Sean Hannity on 'Hannity' to discuss the flaws in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against former President Trump. #FoxNews Subscribe to Fox News! Watch more Fox News Video: Watch Fox News Channel Live:...