Ukraine says any Russian presidential voting in its occupied regions would be ‘null and void’

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine has condemned Russia’s intention to organize presidential election voting in occupied Ukrainian territory next year. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said any such balloting held in the occupied regions in the country would be “null and void” and pledged that any international observers sent to monitor the Russian election would “face criminal responsibility.” Lawmakers in Russia have set the presidential election for March 17. President Vladimir Putin announced his candidacy on Friday and he is all but certain to win another term. Russian authorities are considering whether to arrange the voting in Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Moscow illegally annexed the four regions in September 2022 but only controls parts of them.