United Russia office and mercenaries in the the temporary occupied Donetsk region
Russian political parties have not only supported, but made possible the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Their activity does not promote any democratic
values. Instead, they exist to provide a fake sense of legitimacy of Putin’s regime.
Therefore, to promote Russian democracy and make Russia comply with international law in Ukraine, it is necessary to sanction all members of Russian political parties supporting aggression, such as pro-war and pro-Putin “United Russia”, “Communist party of the Russian Federation”, “Just Russia – for the Truth”, “Liberal Democratic Party of Russia”.
This idea has already been internationally endorsed, in particular by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Recent PACE Resolution № 2463 (2022) has also emphasized specific responsibility of the Russian political parties for unprecedented violations of international law in and against Ukraine.
Legal argumentation and grounds
There are two equally legitimate alternative grounds and legal classifications allowing to sanctions the Russian political parties mentioned:
1. They are entities supporting external aggression (as per PACE Resolution № 2463).
2. They are terrorist organizations (as the Lebanese Hezbollah also having a wing in the parliament).
However, whatever the ground chosen, sanctioning members of these parties is justified and proportionate since their role has been crucial in unleashing and maintaining this unlawful war.
Voting record
First, the Russian parliament urged the President of the Russian Federation to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, integral parts of Ukrainian territory.
Second, it approved the use of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine.
Third, it ratified treaties of friendship with Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states.
Finally, in October, it annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine.
The records are public – all of these decisions were adopted by consensus or close to it. They also supported illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and aggression against Georgia in 2008.
Propaganda of unlawful war
Members of these parties not only expressed their support for aggression, but also declared in written their readiness to go to the front. Secretary of the General Council of “United Russia” party Aleksandr Turchak officially stated that he had received the corresponding declarations made by the Chairman of the Healthcase Committee Dmitriy Hubezov, Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee Dmitriy Sablin, Deputy Chairman of the Family Affairs Committee Vitaliy Milonov, Deputy Chairman of the Economic Policy Committee Sergey Sokol as well as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States Oleg Kolesnikov.
Illegal activities in the occupied territory
Since March 2022, the “United Russia” party opened its office in the occupied and almost completely obliterated Mariupol. Similar offices were opened in the occupied Melitopol, Kherson and other areas under Russian control. They fund propaganda campaigns, place billboards justifying illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.
Many MPs, such as Vitaliy Milonov, personally visited occupied territories in violation of Ukrainian and international law.
Support for terrorists
In 2015, the European Parliament recognized in its Resolution 2014/2965 (RSP) that illegal military units on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions perpetrate “acts of terrorism”.
Despite clearly terrorist nature of their activities, the above-mentioned political parties have always supported these illegal formations. Leader of the Communist party Ziuganov always advocated recognition of “LDPR” as independent republics and provision them with manpower. Former Chairman of the co-called “Supreme Council of DPR” Boris Litvinov and so-called former “Head of LPR” Valeriy Bolotov became Russian Communist party members. The Liberal Democratic Party, “Just Russia – for the Truth” and “United Russia” have all accommodated and endorsed terrorists and killers of Ukrainian civilians. For example, so-called former “Prime Minister of DPR” Aleksandr Boroday became a “United Russia” MP.
Moreover, in December 2021, United Russia granted membership to “DPR” and “LPR” leaders Denys Pushylin and Leonid Pasechnik. In July 2022, “United Russia” and the “Donetsk Republic” (an organisation which had been engaged in terrorist activities since the beginning of the armed conflict in the Donetsk region and which in fact served as the ruling party of the “DPR”) formalised their cooperation with a corresponding memorandum. Already after the annexation of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russia started incorporating terrorist organizations. Thus, it was announced that, as of the end of September 2022, more than 42 thousand activists of the terrorist group “Donetsk Republic” had become members of “United Russia”.
Consequences
Imposition of such sanctions against millions of members of these parties (many of them unwilling but forced to become members because of administrative pressure and coercion) would a) ensure accountability for the war of aggression against Ukraine;
b) trigger mass exodus from the ranks of these parties;
c) weaken the regime and demonstrate absence of support for it;
d) contribute to anti-war effort; e) strengthen Russian democracy and paving the way to genuinely elected representatives of the Russian people.
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