UN secretary general rejects Russia’s bid to justify Crimea and Donbas occupation as "self-determination"

UN Secretary General António Guterres has said that the principle of self-determination does not apply to Crimea and Donbas and that Ukraine's territorial integrity takes precedence, amid reports that Russia has asked the United Nations to consider "self-determination" for these territories.

Source: Ukrinform, a Ukrainian news agency, citing Guterres at a press conference in New York

Details: Answering a question from a Russian journalist on whether the UN can consider Crimea and Donbas in the context of the right to self-determination, Guterres said that international law rests on two key principles: the territorial integrity of states and the self-determination of peoples.

However, he stressed that self-determination applies only when the necessary requisites exist.

Quote: "It is our position that the principle of self-determination does not apply in the situations of Crimea and Donbas. So, in that situation, the principle that prevails is the principle of the territorial integrity of Ukraine."

Background: Earlier, in an interview with Turkish media, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia had submitted a request to the UN seeking recognition of the "right" of residents of Donbas and Crimea to self-determination.

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