Russian President Vladimir Putin has secured a landslide victory, with early results indicating a win of approximately 87 percent of the vote. This win, described as the highest ever in Russia’s post-Soviet history, is met with significant international skepticism and condemnation, particularly from Poland, which denounces the election's legitimacy.
Putin, in his victory speech, portrayed the election outcome as an affirmation of his governance and policies, including the controversial invasion of Ukraine. He stated,
"No matter who or how much they want to intimidate us... our will, our consciousness – no one has ever succeeded in anything like this in history... It has not worked now and will not work in the future. Never.”
However, the international community, including Poland, has voiced concerns over the election's fairness.
The election was marred by the absence of genuine competition, as Putin's significant critics are either jailed, in exile, or deceased. Moreover, the stifling of public criticism casts further doubt on the democratic nature of the electoral process.
The statement of the Polish Foreign Ministry noted that the presidential elections in Russia were illegal, not free and unfair. The statement also said that the vote was held in the occupied areas of Ukraine under severe repression, in violation of international law.
The United States and the United Kingdom echoed similar sentiments, labeling the election as neither free nor fair.
The White House’s National Security Council spokesperson highlighted Putin's tactics of imprisoning political rivals and blocking their candidacy as key reasons for the election's lack of integrity. Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both emphasized the absence of legitimacy and fairness in the election.
