Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen stated about the recognition of Russian “election” in occupied Crimea  that “from the point of view of Austria, it is clear that the annexation of Crimea is unlawful. And this is also the position of the European Union. Therefore, legitimate elections to the Russian Parliament and the elections of Russian President cannot take place in Crimea. And this is not only my point of view. This is a unanimous point of view of the entire Austrian Government,” Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen noted answering the question of the journalists about the recognition of the Russian elections in Crimea.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko thanked both the Austrian President and Austrian Government for the official position expressed on the website of the Austrian Foreign Ministry that they “do not send observers to Crimea, do not welcome and do not recognize”.

The President also emphasized the importance of bringing to justice those who directly participate in the organization of the so-called “elections”, including the imposition of personal sanctions against them.

Petro Poroshenko called on all European partners and the whole world to react decisively to “the election farce Moscow is organizing this Sunday in the occupied territory of the Ukrainian Crimea – on the fourth anniversary of the attempt to annex the Crimean peninsula”.

The President of Ukraine emphasized the joint position of the two Presidents with regard to the importance of the historical lessons of those events, responsibility, the need to protect and root our democratic values.

The Head of State stressed that “the latest developments in the east of our country when another truce is not complied with, the latest developments in Austria, the support of terrorist groups in Ukraine are definitely additional arguments regarding joint and consolidated actions and decisions on the return of Russia in the format of international law”.