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EU Council President Charles Michel: “No opposition.
No freedom.
No choice«
Photo: Johanna Geron / REUTERS
EU Council President Charles Michel commented on the start of the presidential election in Russia with sarcasm.
“I would like to congratulate (President) Vladimir Putin on his landslide victory in the elections that start today,” the Belgian wrote on the online service X. “No opposition.
No freedom.
No choice,” he added.
The election lasts until Sunday and opposition candidates are not allowed.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is therefore certain of victory.
The European Union and NATO question the legality of the election.
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Thursday that a free, fair and democratic vote was difficult to imagine in Putin's Russia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was even clearer: "The elections in Russia will not be free and fair," he emphasized.
Stoltenberg pointed to the suppression of the opposition and the media.
An election victory would allow Putin to rule until 2030
Navalny's exiled widow, Yulia Navalnaya, had called on the international community not to recognize the election.
An election victory would allow Putin to rule until 2030 - longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the 18th century.
The so-called “presidential election” for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to stay in power began on Friday in Russia, with the exclusion of the opposition.
The election, which is intended to ensure that the 71-year-old Putin remains in office for another six years, is overshadowed by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and massive allegations of manipulation.
The Moscow prosecutor's office threatened people who take part in "uncoordinated public mass events" with up to five years in prison.
According to the electoral commission, around 114 million people are called to vote.
In 2020, Putin had the constitution changed specifically in order to be able to run as a candidate again.
aka/AFP