This is a worthless act: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to Putin's decree on the "deportation" of Ukrainians

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the decree of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, according to which Ukrainian citizens who are illegally in Russia are obliged to leave by September 10 or legalize, null and void, and stressed that this is another step in the Russian company to discriminate and persecute Ukrainians. This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi during a briefing, reports UNN.

We believe that this is a worthless act. It is another step in the Russian company to discriminate, persecute and forcibly displace Ukrainian citizens from their native land or force them to acquire the status of a foreigner. Russia continues to violate fundamental norms of international law, in particular, even with this decree, it violates at least three international legal documents. First, the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Population in Time of War. It contains Article 49, which directly prohibits the deportation or transfer of the civilian population of the occupied territory, and Article 147, which defines the forcible transfer of the civilian population as a serious war crime. It is in this perspective that these Russian threats should be considered.

He noted that the second document violated by Russia is the Convention on the Laws and Customs of War on Land, the so-called Hague Convention of 1907.

It contains Article 46, which guarantees respect for the citizenship and rights of persons in the occupied territories, and Article 50, which prohibits collective punishments and coercive measures against the civilian population. This document is also violated. The third document is the UN General Assembly resolution of 2022, which demands that Russia cease violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including through the forcible deportation of the population, which is also mentioned in this document.

According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that this systemic deportation and persecution is part of Russia's policy of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

Even the Convention on Genocide clearly defines that the displacement of the forced population, children, and national group are all attempts to destroy the national group. This decree should be considered in this context. We know that the Kremlin has historically used mass deportations as a means of destroying the national identity of various peoples, including Ukrainians. This policy was applied particularly intensively to Ukrainians. And all the crimes of the Soviet regime during the 20th century demonstrated exactly this approach, we consider this decree a continuation of the same policy.

In addition, he emphasizes that this decree contradicts the Kremlin's statements about its readiness for a peaceful settlement and directly undermines any initiatives to establish peace, including the efforts of the United States.

The Russian authorities demonstrate that their real goal is not peace, but the further destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the persecution of Ukrainian citizens. We have already appealed to international institutions and all our international partners with a call to strongly condemn this latest act of violation of international law by Russia, to strengthen sanctions pressure, including personal sanctions against those responsible who plan to engage in what is defined in the decree. And Ukraine, in addition, appeals to the International Criminal Court with a request to take into account this decree as additional evidence of war crimes of the Russian leadership. Now separately regarding our citizens who are in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

He also addressed Ukrainians in the occupied territories, urging them to use all opportunities to return to the territory controlled by Ukraine, to act on the basis of their own safety regarding obtaining Russian passports.

For the Ukrainian state, any papers issued to you by the occupiers are worthless and do not change the fact that we consider you to be citizens of Ukraine, who are citizens of Ukraine, Ukrainians at heart. Therefore, act on the basis of your own safety. If you need to take some papers, take them. This does not change your status. We proceed from your safety in the first place.

We remind you

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which Ukrainian citizens who are illegally in Russia are obliged to leave by September 10 or legalize.