“Record”, “exceptional”: Moscow celebrated on Monday the overwhelming victory of Vladimir Putin in the Russian presidential election, a result presented as proof of national unity behind his assault on Ukraine but forged in the repression of the opposition.
Abroad, Moscow’s partners praised in unison his re-election, which Western countries denounced as a sham democracy.
The Russian president, who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century, received 87.28% of the votes from all ballots counted in Russia, 10 points more than in 2018.
“This is a record indicator,” proclaimed the head of the Electoral Commission, Ella Pamfilova. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov applauded an “exceptional” result and a “confirmation” of the Russian people’s support for their president.
In the same vein, Chinese leader Xi Jinping stated that this result proved the “full support of the Russians” for Mr. Putin, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi saw it as a “solid victory.” Leaders from Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Bolivia also praised Putin’s re-election.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered his congratulations and called for strengthening the “special” relationship between the two countries.
Berlin, London, Paris, and the EU foreign affairs chief, on the other hand, criticized the vote as being coerced, without opposition, and amidst repression.
President Putin celebrated his victory on Sunday evening by portraying a “unified” Russia that will not be “intimidated” by the West.
A concert was scheduled to take place on Red Square in the evening to celebrate Putin’s continued tenure in the Kremlin and the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea in 2014, the starting point of Moscow’s military aggression against Kiev, which culminated in the assault on February 24, 2022.
Groups of pro-Putin supporters were already present in the area by midday, some wearing windbreakers with the words: “Our loyalty to the homeland gives us strength.”
Meanwhile, the week was marked by deadly bombings and armed incursions from Ukraine to show Russia that it is not safe on its territory.
These attacks in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, have resulted in at least 13 deaths since March 12, according to local authorities.
Vladimir Putin hailed on Sunday the soldiers fighting in Ukraine, protecting “Russia’s historical territories,” confirming his imperialist ambitions, as he has already claimed the annexation of five Ukrainian regions.
He stated that the Russian forces, on the offensive against a Ukrainian army lacking men and ammunition, had “full initiative.” These advances are still limited, but the Russian leader is counting on the continuation of the weakening western support for Kiev.
In Russia, no one can contradict him: the other three presidential candidates were all aligned with him, whether on Ukraine or on the repression, which culminated in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison in February.
Nevertheless, the opposition managed to make itself heard during this election. Yulia Navalnaya, who vowed to carry on her late husband Alexei Navalny’s legacy, called on her supporters to all vote at the same time, at noon on Sunday. She herself voted at the Russian embassy in Berlin, writing “Navalny” on her ballot.
Navalny’s team, accusing the Kremlin of killing the opposition leader, deemed Putin’s score as having “no connection to reality.”
On Sunday night, the Russian president publicly mentioned his former number one opponent, suddenly stating that he had been in favor of his release in a prisoner exchange with Western countries.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitri Peskov criticized Yulia Navalnaya on Monday, downplaying her connection to Russia, as she was forced into exile.
Yulia Navalnaya is “one of those people who lose their roots, lose their connection with the homeland, lose their understanding of their homeland, no longer feel the pulse of their country,” he said.
Like her, hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled the country due to repression or fear of being mobilized into the army.
Around the world, thousands of them responded on Sunday at noon to the call to vote together in large numbers against Mr. Putin.
In some places in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, significant lines formed at the designated hour. But in front of other polling stations, the turnout did not appear particularly high.
Source: Le Mauricien
