The Foreign Ministry reacted sharply to Mélenchon's statement supporting the occupation's so-called referendums

Ukraine should not be asked to accept the results of the so-called referendums in the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea, since voting at gunpoint is a tool of annexation, not an expression of the people’s will. 

This was stated by Georgiy Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to remarks by French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon regarding the need to “ask the people” whether they want to be part of Russia or Ukraine. “The residents of Donbas… have the right to decide whether they want to be Ukrainians or Russians,” he asserted.

The diplomat recalled that in the 1991 nationwide referendum, more than 90% of citizens—including 83% of Donbas residents—supported Ukraine’s independence within its internationally recognized borders, whereas the sole reason for the ongoing war is Russia’s attempts to change those borders by force. 

“‘Referendums’ held under occupation are a tool of annexation, not an expression of the will of the people. No civilized, democratic country would ever agree to such a thing regarding its borders, so this should not be proposed to Ukrainians,” Tykhyi emphasized.

Source: Georgiy Tykhyi on the X network.

Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon occupy the top two spots in all five scenarios for the first round of the French presidential election, scheduled for 2027. Compared to late October, both politicians have seen a slight increase in voter support. According to a Toluna Harris Interactive poll, Le Pen could receive 34–36% of the vote, while Mélenchon could receive 18–19%. In contrast, former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has lost support and would receive 11–14%.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the French right-wing nationalist party “National Rally,” could win the presidential election in the spring of 2027 by a wide margin over her rivals.