30 January 2026

“Territorial integrity is a fundamental principle that safeguards the sovereignty of states. In the case of Ukraine, it prevails over any attempts at manipulation,” — UN Secretary-General

UN Secretary-General António Guterres rejected Russia’s attempts to legitimize and justify the occupation of parts of Ukrainian territory while responding to an absurd question from a Russian journalist regarding the application of the principle of national self-determination to Crimea and Donbas by analogy with Greenland.

According to him, the United Nations is guided by two key principles of international law — the territorial integrity of states and the self-determination of peoples. However, the latter can be applied only under clearly defined conditions.

“We have concluded that the principle of self-determination cannot be applied to Crimea and Donbas,” the Secretary-General stated, referring to UN legal assessments. “In this case, the territorial integrity of Ukraine prevails.”

He emphasized that international law leaves no room for legitimizing occupation, and that Russia’s attempts to use the rhetoric of national self-determination are legally unfounded.

At the same time, despite 12 years of occupation and repression, resistance by Ukrainian citizens continues in Crimea against the criminal actions of the occupying authorities. Crimean residents demonstrate their pro-Ukrainian stance, for which they are detained and persecuted by the occupiers.

Russia violates norms of international law and human rights and destroys the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples — violations repeatedly confirmed by decisions and conclusions of international institutions, including the UN General Assembly resolution “Situation of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol,” adopted in December last year.