Russian ambassador summoned over annexation

State Secretary for EU Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić on Monday summoned Russian Ambassador Andrej Nesterenko to voice protest over the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.
 
Metelko-Zgombić underlined that Croatia does not and will not recognise the annexation of these oblasts, demanding that Russia nullifies this illegal act and withdraws all its military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine. She pointed out that Croatia considered the act a threat to the international order based on respect for rights and that it violated Ukraine’s fundamental right to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the fundamental principles of the UN Charter. Furthermore, she rejected Russia’s nuclear threats as unacceptable, saying that the Russian mobilisation and attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine would lead to escalation of the war, loss of human life and additional sanctions against Russia.
 
The state secretary reiterated Croatia’s commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, as well as to Ukraine’s right to defend itself from the Russian aggression in line with the international law and the UN Charter. She underscored Croatia’s solidarity with Ukraine and the determined to continue supporting it.

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