Global reactions to Vladimir Putin’s re-election reflect a divided international community, split between Russia’s allies and its opponents.
Friends and allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin were quick to congratulate him on his election win but Western leaders denounced what they called an “illegal election.”
China
Beijing congratulated Putin, saying “China and Russia are each other’s largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in the new era.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that President Xi Jinping and Putin “will continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold longstanding good-neighborly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination.”
Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said, “Our older brother has triumphed, which bodes well for the world.”
Iran
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi congratulated his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday on his “decisive victory and re-election as the President of the Russian Federation,” state news agency IRNA reported.
Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the result as illegitimate. “Everyone in the world understands that this person, like many others throughout history, has become sick with power and will stop at nothing to rule forever,” he said.
“There is no evil he would not do to maintain his personal power. And no one in the world would have been safeguarded from this.”
France
France said that “the conditions for a free, pluralist and democratic election were not met,” and that the election took place amid “repression,” and hailed the “many” Russians who demonstrated their opposition.
The United Kingdom
Britain’s foreign minister David Cameron said that the “illegal” elections featured “a lack of choice for voters and no independent OSCE monitoring,” adding, “This is not what free and fair elections look like.”
Italy
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the “elections were neither free nor fair.”
“We are continuing to work for a just peace that will bring Russia to put an end to the war of aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law.”
Germany
Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock dismissed Putin’s re-election as a vote “without choice” after all genuine opposition was crushed, saying that the election process shows “Putin’s heinous behaviour against his own people.”
EU
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borell, said that Putin’s re-election was not “free and fair” with genuine opposition crushed and international observers absent, telling journalists that “this election has been based on repression and intimidation.”
With AFP
