EU, U.S. Say S. Ossetia Polls Illegitimate

The United States and the European Union have condemned as illegitimate “presidential elections” held on April 10 in Georgia’s Russian-held Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia .

U.S. Embassy Statement

The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi said on April 10 that the United States does not recognize “the legitimacy of the so-called presidential elections held in Georgia’s South Ossetia region on April 10 and will not acknowledge their outcome.”

“Our position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia remains clear: these regions are integral parts of Georgia. No “elections” or a priori illegitimate “referendum” calling for incorporation of South Ossetia into Russia can change this.”

According to the U.S. Embassy, “Russia’s brutal, unprovoked, and unjustified war deliberately attacking Ukrainian civilians and cities makes it even more important to stand up for these fundamental principles that are the foundation of the international security architecture.”

EU Ambassador Remarks

In his remarks, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, Carl Hartzell stated on April 10 that the EU does not recognize the constitutional and legal framework in which “the so-called presidential elections are taking place in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia.”

“We continue to support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recogni[z]ed borders and to pursue our policy of non-recognition and engagement, including through the EU Special Representative and the EU Monitoring Mission,” noted the EU Ambassador.

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• Explainer: Elections in Tskhinvali