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In front of the Russian embassy in Berlin on Sunday, everyone was able to get a feel for what it was like to take part in an election orchestrated by Putin - a vote without a real alternative.

This is how those who are allowed to “vote” today feel.

Voters:


»The opposing candidates do not represent the opposition. They are part of the current system.

Therefore, in my opinion, they are not opposition members.

These are system candidates.

Roughly speaking, today we can choose between Putin and his friends.

By midday on Sunday there was already a kilometer-long queue.

The police speak of at least 2,000 people.

Waiting several hours.

Some of those waiting showed solidarity with the attacked Ukraine and at the same time criticized the pseudo-vote.

Voters:


»Of course these are not elections.

This is a procedure so that Putin can continue to call himself president, sell oil and live in his castle.

This Russian woman arrived from Munich early in the morning - in a special outfit.

Irina Hofmann, Russian voter from Munich:


»Two years ago, after the war started, I made these coats, I think twenty of them, and auctioned them off to help the Ukrainian army.

I am Russian, I am from Moscow and I feel obliged to help Ukraine.

I followed this call to come at 12 p.m.

It was Navalny’s last will and now also his wife’s.”

Yulia Navalnaya herself joined the waiting crowd.

As the widow of the most famous Russian opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, she is greeted with encouragement, thanks and a lot of compassion.

Evgenij Stupin had to flee Moscow with his family to avoid prison.

The former Moscow city parliament member of the Communist Party was declared a so-called "foreign agent" as an opponent of the war.

Evgeniy Stupin, Russian opposition politician:


»We have called for the candidates who support the war to be crossed out - because everyone does that.

We also call for people to write “For a just world” on the ballot papers, for example.

We now have the opportunity to see and hug each other.

It is important to understand that there are thousands and millions of us across Russia who do not agree with the current politics in Russia and are ready to take to the streets against it.

Despite all the protests - whether here in Berlin or in Russia itself: Nobody doubts that Putin will be confirmed in his office for another six years.

What many people here might be most interested in is how many protest ballot papers will ultimately be classified as “invalid.”