Editing Self-determination (section)

===Eastern Ukraine===
{{main|War in Donbas (2014–2022)}}
[[File:2015-04-24. День солидарности молодёжи в Донецке 556 .jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|Pro-Russian separatists in [[Donetsk]], April 2015]]
There is an active secessionist movement based on the self-determination of the residents of the eastern part of [[Donetsk Oblast|Donetsk]] and the south-eastern part of the [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]] regions of eastern [[Ukraine]]. However, many in the international community assert that [[2014 Donbass status referendums|referendums held there in 2014]] regarding independence from Ukraine were illegitimate and undemocratic.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Canada Rejects Illegitimate Referendums in Eastern Ukraine|url = http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2014/05/11b.aspx?lang=eng|access-date = 2015-10-09|first = Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada|last = Government of Canada|date = 11 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=EU@UN - EU Council conclusions on Ukraine |url=http://eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_15004_en.htm |website=eu-un.europa.eu |access-date=2015-10-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016041020/http://eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_15004_en.htm |archive-date=2015-10-16 }}</ref> Similarly, there are reports that [[2014 Ukrainian presidential election|presidential elections in May 2014]] were prevented from taking place in the two regions after armed gunmen took control of polling stations, kidnapped election officials, and stole lists of electors, thus denying the population the chance to express their will in a free, fair, and internationally recognised election.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Trepidation, intimidation in eastern Ukraine as Sunday's election nears|url = http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/23/intimidation-easternukrainevote.html|website = america.aljazeera.com|access-date = 2015-10-09}}</ref> There are also arguments that the de facto separation of [[Eastern Ukraine]] from the rest of the country is not an expression of self-determination, but rather, motivated by revival of [[Neo-Sovietism|pro-Soviet sentiment]] and an invasion by neighbouring [[Russia]], with Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] claiming in 2015 that up to 9,000 [[Russian Ground Forces|Russian soldiers]] were deployed in Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Ukraine's Poroshenko warns of 'full-scale' Russia invasion |work = BBC News|date = 4 June 2015|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33003237|access-date = 2015-10-09}}</ref> Related, Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] defended [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|the annexation of Crimea]] by citing self-determination of the Crimean people.