Zelensky declares putin’s decrees on “independence” of Ukrainian regions null and void

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared the russian president's decrees regarding the recognition of Crimea as "independent," the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" and "Donetsk People's Republic," Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as other decisions on the implementation of these decrees, null and void.

The relevant decree No. 687/2022 of October 4 was published on the president's website.

"Recognize the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 17, 2014 No. 147, dated February 21, 2022 No. 71, dated February 21, 2022 No. 72, dated September 29, 2022 No. 685, dated September 29, 2022 No. 686, as well as any other decisions, acts and agreements adopted, issued and concluded based on and in connection with the implementation of the said decrees of the President of the Russian Federation," the document states.

The decree emphasizes that the territory of Ukraine is integral and inviolable within its internationally recognized state border. Ukraine's sovereignty extends to its entire territory.

The document also confirms the inalienable sovereign right of Ukraine to restore and preserve its territorial integrity within the internationally recognized state border.

In addition, it is noted that the decision was adopted "in compliance with the generally recognized principles and norms of international law, in particular the imperative norms of general international law, as well as the current international treaties of Ukraine, including the Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian-Russian state border dated January 28, 2003, which cannot be terminated even due to a fundamental change of circumstances following Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of International Treaties of 1969."

Reference

By putin's decree No. 147 of March 17, 2014, Crimea was declared an "independent state" with a special status for Sevastopol within it; by decrees No. 71 and No. 72 of February 21, 2022, the so-called "D/LPR" were "recognized as independent," and by decrees, No. 685 and No. 686 of September 29, 2022, "independence" of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine were declared.

On September 30, the Kremlin held a ceremony of "admission into Russia" of the puppet entities "LNR" and "DNR," as well as the territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine captured by the russian army after the pseudo-referendums held on September 23–27.