As elections to Russian parliament, Duma, approach, Ukraine says it will not allow Russian polling stations on its territory – even if they are placed in the diplomatic establishments. Both countries have exchanged unfriendly statements on Sept. 10. “The President (of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko) instructed the foreign minister (Pavlo Klimkin) to inform Moscow about the inability of Russian elections in Ukraine,” Poroshenko’s spokesperson, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, wrote on Twitter on Sept. 10. Russia holds the elections on Sept. 18. It plans to open polling stations in Russian consulates and embassy in Ukraine, for the Russians living in Ukraine to vote. In 2014, some 150,000 Russian citizens were living in Ukraine according to official data. But Ukrainian government isn’t going to allow the Russian polling stations to open in Ukraine. The reason is, Russian authorities also plan to hold the elections in the annexed Crimea.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleksiy Makeev told Interfax news agency on Sept. 10 that Russia violates the international law holding the elections in Crimea, therefore the elections in the Russian embassies and consulates in Ukraine are impossible.
Ukraine’s parliament Verkhovna Rada voted on Sept. 8 for a resolution urging other states, assemblies and international organizations to declare the elections in Crimea illegal.
Ukrainian parliament also urges Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation not to accept deputies whose election was linked to the voting in Crimea.
Full Article: Ukraine, Russia clash over upcoming Duma elections.