On 16 March 2014, the so-called referendums on accession to the Russian Federation were held illegally in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. The illegal annexation of Crimea set off an unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine and its territorial unity, unlawfully continued by Russia in 2022. After launching a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Russia is seeking to illegally annex the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, in the strongest terms possible, condemns Russia’s actions, which are in gross violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. Latvia did not and will never acknowledge the results of the sham referendums and Russia’s efforts to illegally annex the occupied Ukrainian territories. Latvia recognises the territorial unity of Ukraine within its internationally defined borders.
Russia is fully responsible for its aggression against Ukraine. Those responsible for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine and the inhumane crimes perpetrated by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians and military personnel must be brought before the court.