UN chief: Russian annexation of Ukraine regions has "no legal value"

NEW YORK, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that Russia's plans to annex four regions of Ukraine would be considered in "violation" of the UN Charter and of "no legal value." The secretary-general was speaking after the Kremlin said it planned to sign annexation treaties with the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia after referenda for secession were held there recently.
"The charter is clear. Any annexation of a state's territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law," the UN chief told a press conference.
"Any decision to proceed with the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned." "It is a dangerous escalation. It has no place in the modern world. It must not be accepted," he added.
The UN chief said the move would "further jeopardize the prospects for peace" and "prolong the dramatic impacts on the global economy, especially developing countries" as well as "hinder our ability to deliver life-saving aid across Ukraine." (end) asf.sd