The Pan-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations issued a statement against the referendum in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
Monsignor Joji Vadakara, Vatican City
The head of the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, Abhivandya Sviatoslav Shevchuk, issued a statement from the office in Rome strongly opposing the referendum to be held in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
The pan-Ukrainian organization, which described the test as a fake referendum, aimed at annexing the territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, reminded that Ukraine has full rights over the territory of Ukraine. They wrote that Russia’s current war against Ukraine is against international law, aimed at seizing a part of Ukraine and destroying the country of Ukraine.
The organization stated that the opinion poll planned to be held by Russia is in a military-occupied territory, in a situation where there is no personal freedom and is a scandalous act against democratic ideas. They added that this was a repeat of the 2014 invasion of Crimea.
In this situation, the Pan-Ukraine organization, which demanded that no country in the world recognize such a referendum, asked Ukrainian citizens in the region to refrain from such a fake opinion poll. In a statement, the organization demanded that the Russian Federation be prepared to abandon such an encroachment against not only the humanitarian laws of mutual association, but also Christian, Islamic and Jewish religious teachings.