The resolution, adopted on Thursday, declares that the European Parliament does not consider the newly elected State Duma a legitimate representative or legislative body. That position extends to "all legal and political consequences" of votes held on occupied territories of Ukraine, the document states.
Lawmakers singled out for condemnation the voting conducted in the occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as in Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Among the grounds cited for non-recognition were the systematic exclusion and persecution of democratic and anti-war forces, serious violations, the absence of full-fledged independent observation, pressure on voters, and the removal of the Yabloko party from the ballot.
The European Parliament urged EU countries not to recognize the new Duma, to refrain from official contacts with its deputies, and to oppose the participation of Russian representatives in inter-parliamentary assemblies. Deputies also spoke out against normalizing Russia's participation in international sporting and cultural events.
The authors of the resolution proposed additional sanctions against judges, prosecutors and employees of Rosfinmonitoring involved in political persecution, including beyond Russia's borders. The list would also include members of the Central Election Commission and those responsible for organizing votes in the occupied territories of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
According to the MEPs, normalization of EU-Russia relations is possible only after a just and lasting peace for Ukraine is achieved, with respect for its territorial integrity and the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. The resolution also demands the release of prisoners of war, the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children and the payment of reparations.
The elections to the ninth State Duma were held on September 18-20. The Central Election Commission reported a victory for United Russia, which received 349 mandates. According to independent electoral analysts, the ruling party's real result does not exceed 35%, and more than 18 million of the 30 million paper ballots could have been stuffed for it. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the elections an "insult to democracy."