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UPDATE 2: Poland summons Russian ambassador over Putin’s annexation of Ukrainian regions

03.10.2022 13:00
Poland on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador over Vladimir Putin’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions. 
Polands foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador over Vladimir Putins illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
Poland’s foreign ministry on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador over Vladimir Putin’s illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.PAP/Albert Zawada

Sergei Andreev arrived at the Polish foreign ministry building in Warsaw at around 11 a.m., state news agency PAP reported.

Sergei Andreev, Russia's ambassador to Poland. Sergei Andreev, Russia's ambassador to Poland. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

Foreign ministry spokesman Łukasz Jasina told reporters: "Today Russian envoys are being called in across the European Union. We, too, summoned the ambassador to express our position on President Vladimir Putin's illegal decision to annex Ukrainian territory."

During his meeting with Andreev, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz denounced Russia's "threats against world peace, including against Poland," Jasina said.

Przydacz said in a media interview earlier in the day that Andreev would "be informed that Poland refuses to recognise the pseudo-referenda in Ukraine and attempts to incorporate parts of Ukrainian territory into Russia.”

He added that various EU countries were expected to summon Russian ambassadors at roughly the same time to express their refusal to accept Russia’s attempt to annex parts of Ukraine. 

Last Friday, Russian President Putin signed documents to incorporate four regions of Ukraine into Russia at a televised ceremony in the Kremlin.

The move came after Russia held what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine and declared the annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Poland condemns Russia’s attempt to annex Ukrainian regions

Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that it "condemns in the strongest terms the illegal acts of 'recognition of independence' and 'incorporation' into the Russian Federation of parts of Ukraine’s regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia."

It added the "Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia constitute an integral part of Ukraine in accordance with international law."

The Polish foreign ministry also said that Poland "does not and will not recognize the results of the pseudo-referenda" carried out in these areas between September 23 and 27.

"The Republic of Poland does not and will not recognize the decrees of the President of Russia concerning annexation of the abovementioned territories, promulgated on September 29 and 30," the foreign ministry in Warsaw said.

It added: "These acts are a direct violation of international law and yet another daring attempt at seizing parts of Ukrainian territory by Russia. They confirm that Russia seeks escalation of the conflict and rejects its peaceful settlement."

Monday is day 222 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP