Russian dictator Vladimir Putin won the presidential election, government exit polls show.
According to the results of the VTsIOM exit poll, Putin received 87% of the votes. His three opponents received less than 5%, and the rate of invalid ballots was 1.2%. If the Central Election Commission officially confirms the votes for Putin, this figure will become his record. Putin had the highest result in 2018 — 76.69%.
ICTV Facts collected the reaction of world politicians to the so-called presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
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Almost a quarter of a century in power
On December 31, 1999, President Boris Yeltsin resigned from his post. Vladimir Putin became the acting president of the Russian Federation, and on March 26, 2000 he was officially elected to this position.
Thus, Putin has been ruling for the 24th year. Although for one term — from 2008 to 2012 — he headed the government under the third president, Dmitry Medvedev. And in the next elections, Putin became president again.
The longest-serving dictator was Joseph Stalin — 29 years old — from 1924 to 1953. Leonid Brezhnev led for 18 years.
Imitation of the next elections — Zelensky
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called the Russian presidential elections another imitation of the will of the people of the Russian Federation.
According to Zelensky, everyone in the world understands that Putin, as has happened in history, is simply sick of power and is doing everything to rule for life. And there is no evil that he will not commit in order to prolong his power. And no one in the world is immune from this.
— He (Putin — Ed.) fears only one thing most of all — justice. This imitation of elections does not and cannot have any legitimacy. This figure should end up in the dock in The Hague — this is what we must provide. “Everyone in the world who values life and decency,” said President Zelensky.
White House reaction
A White House National Security Council spokesman on Sunday night said sharply that there are no free or fair elections in Russia, given that Putin has jailed political opponents and prevented other candidates from running against him, Reuters reports.< /p>
Charles Michel “congratulated” Putin
The President of the European Council Charles Michel on March 15 “congratulated” Vladimir Putin with a landslide victory in the elections.
According to a European politician, the presidential elections in Russia — these are elections without opposition, without freedom and without choice.
Latvian reaction
Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins said that the so-called elections in Russia are devoid of any democratic legitimacy and have lost their purpose.
— The man responsible for Europe's bloodiest war since World War II continues his reign as Russian President, — noted Karins.
Tragifarse, not elections — Minister of Lithuania
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called the elections in Russia — imitation.
— Law cannot arise from injustice, and legitimacy that is respected in the international space cannot arise from coercion, oppression and counterfeiting. Therefore, we do not consider or call this falsified and simulated procedure — elections, because, unfortunately, it looks more like a tragic farce,” Landsbergis emphasized.
Reaction of the German Foreign Ministry
The German Foreign Ministry stated that the pseudo-elections in Russia are not free, not fair, and the result will not surprise anyone.
— Putin's rule is authoritarian, relying on censorship, repression and violence. “Elections” in the occupied territories of Ukraine are invalid, and are another violation of international law, — noted by the ministry.
Undemocratic elections — Czech reaction
The Czech Foreign Ministry stated that the elections in Russia were not held transparently and democratically. And they also took place during the war of aggression against Ukraine. Russian society and independent media are constantly subject to harassment and persecution.
In addition, a number of presidential candidates, especially those who are against the war in Ukraine, were disqualified from running. Russians did not have access to independent information, and also did not have the opportunity to choose opposition candidates. The OSCE observer mission was once again not allowed into the Russian Federation.
The Czech Foreign Ministry noted that Russia organized “voting” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The Czech Republic does not recognize the conduct of this illegitimate electoral farce in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and parts of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions of Ukraine. The occupation of these territories is a violation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter and the principles of international law, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Reaction of the British Foreign Secretary
According to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the so-called Russian presidential elections were illegally held in the occupied territories of Ukraine, where voters had no choice and there was no independent OSCE monitoring.
According to him, free and fair elections do not look like that.
Putin stole the elections in the Russian Federation — British Minister of Defense
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that Putin stole the next election in his country, but he will not steal Ukraine.
The UK will work with allies to stop this thief by increasing collective support for Ukraine, he said.
— “As history shows, we must stop dictators and autocrats, otherwise they will continue to steal even more,” said Grant Shapps.
Presidential elections in the Russian Federation are illegal — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland
The Polish Foreign Ministry noted that the so-called presidential elections in Russia took place under conditions of severe repression against the population, and there can be no talk of any democratic choice.
In addition, the so-called elections were also held in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine: in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Voting was also held in Moldovan Transnistria and the Georgian regions of Tskhinvali/South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Thus organized “elections” cannot be considered legal, free and honest.
The Polish Foreign Ministry also notes that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Russian authorities have intensified repression against the opposition, ordinary citizens who criticize the government, and independent media.
Military censorship, politically motivated criminal cases and the exclusion of candidates expressing anti-war views mean that this “election” can be considered neither free nor honest, the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
