07:32, 20 September 2026

The European Union and Georgia condemned the elections in South Ossetia.

Copies of the law on the presidential elections in South Ossetia. Frame from the video of GTRK "Ir" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCcjc_EYDXs

The presidential elections in South Ossetia indicate Moscow's attempts to strengthen control in the region, stated the European Union. The elections held are illegal and have no legal consequences, noted the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 19, the Central Election Commission of South Ossetia summed up the results of the early presidential elections held on September 18. According to the CEC, 84.95% of voters voted for Marat Kambolov, who has been recognized as the president of South Ossetia.

On June 23, the president of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev resigned after being appointed an advisor to Vladimir Putin, and the temporary execution of his duties passed to the Prime Minister Marat Kambolov. In July, Putin publicly expressed support for Kambolov in the upcoming elections. The materials on the election campaign were collected by "Caucasian Knot" on the page "Kambolov's elections in South Ossetia".

The European Union does not recognize the elections in the Tskhinvali region of Georgia (South Ossetia) and calls on Russia to cease actions undermining Georgia's territorial integrity, stated the EU representation. The publication on the EU website is made in the Georgian language, which was noted by JAMnews on September 19.

The results of the elections in South Ossetia have no legal force, states the announcement on the EU website.

"The European Union strongly condemns Moscow's actions aimed at appointing a Russian official as the de facto president of the occupied self-proclaimed region of South Ossetia (Georgia); expresses concern regarding the signing on May 9, 2026, of the so-called agreement on 'deepening allied cooperation'; and also sharply condemns the ongoing attempts by Russia to consolidate its control by integrating South Ossetia into the political, military, economic, and judicial spheres of Russia," stated the EU.

On May 9, an agreement on deepening cooperation was signed between Moscow and Tskhinvali. An important detail was the amendment to local legislation – the abolition of the 10-year residency requirement for senior officials. On May 27, Marat Kambolov was appointed state advisor to the president of South Ossetia, and in June he headed the government.

Such actions "deepen the divide, threaten regional security and stability, and grossly violate international law," states the EU announcement.

"The European Union calls on Russia to respect Georgia's sovereignty and to cease any actions undermining the territorial integrity of the Georgian state. The European Union reiterates its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders," the publication notes.

Georgia considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be territories occupied by Russia after Russia intervened in the armed conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia on August 8, 2008, and then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Georgian Parliament voted to sever diplomatic relations with Russia, as noted in the "Caucasian Knot" reference on the Five-Day War of 2008.

Georgia condemned the elections in South Ossetia

The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the elections, reported Interpressnews on September 18.

"The holding of any so-called elections in the occupied territories of Georgia [...] is illegal and cannot produce any international legal consequences. [...] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia calls on the international community to properly assess and firmly condemn these illegal actions of the Russian Federation and to ensure appropriate international legal and political responses," the agency quoted the ministry's statement.

It should be noted that in April 2022, the Georgian Foreign Ministry also refused to recognize the presidential elections held in South Ossetia.

In 2017, Georgia refused to recognize the results of the presidential elections in South Ossetia. The elections were also not recognized by Azerbaijan, the USA, the European Union, and NATO. On July 7, 2019, the committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE adopted a resolution proposed by Georgia calling on Russia to revoke the decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Translated automatically via OpenAI from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/426781