Russian presidential election | “Record” for Putin who promises an intractable Russia

(Moscow) “Record”, “exceptional”: Moscow welcomed Monday Vladimir Putin’s overwhelming victory 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.

The Russian president, in power for almost a quarter of a century, won 87.29% of the votes out of 99.76% of the votes counted, or 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 a “completely exceptional result” and “an eloquent confirmation” of the support of the Russian people “for their president”.

Abroad, Moscow’s partners unanimously welcomed his re-election, which the West denounced, for their part, as a sham of democracy.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured that this result proved “the full support of the Russians” for Vladimir Putin, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi saw it as a “solid victory”. The leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia also congratulated Mr. Putin.

Berlin, London, Paris and the head of European diplomacy have for their part castigated a vote under duress, at the end of a presidential election in which no real rival was able to present themselves, in the midst of repression of any dissident voice. .

Also read: Putin re-elected as expected

Concert on Red Square

The Russian president celebrated his victory on Sunday evening by painting a portrait of a “consolidated” Russia which will not allow itself to be “intimidated” by its adversaries.

A concert is to take place in the evening on Red Square to celebrate Mr. Putin remaining in the Kremlin and on the 10^e anniversary of the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014, the starting point of Moscow’s military aggression against Kyiv which culminated with the assault of February 24, 2022.

A major security system was put in place in the neighborhood on Monday and groups of supporters of the Russian president were present at midday. Some wear blue windbreakers crossed out with the words: “Our loyalty to the homeland gives us strength”.

Regarding the front, however, the whole week was marked by deadly bombings and incursions by armed fighters from Ukraine in an attempt to disrupt the vote and show Russia that it is not safe on his territory.

In the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, these attacks have left at least 13 dead since March 12, according to local authorities.

Unreal score

Vladimir Putin on Sunday saluted his soldiers fighting in Ukraine, who protect “the historic territories of Russia”, further confirming his imperialist ambitions, he who has already claimed the annexation of five Ukrainian regions.

He estimated that the Russian forces, on the offensive against a Ukrainian army lacking men and ammunition, had “completely the initiative”.

These advances still remain limited, but the Russian president is betting on the continued weakening of Western support for Kyiv.

In Russia, no one can contradict him anymore: the three other candidates selected were all in line, whether it was Ukraine or the repression which culminated with the death of the opponent Alexeï Navalny in an Arctic prison in February.

The opposition nevertheless managed to show itself during this presidential election.

Yulia Navalnaïa, who swore to take up the torch from her husband, called on her supporters to all vote at the same time, at noon on Sunday.

She herself voted at the Russian embassy in Berlin, saying she wrote “Navalny” on her ballot.

The deceased’s team, which accuses the Kremlin of having killed the opponent, judged that the score obtained by Mr. Putin had “no link with reality”.

On Sunday evening, the Russian president publicly mentioned the name of his late adversary for the first time, suddenly asserting that he was in favor of his release as part of a prisoner exchange with the West.

Losing your Russian “roots”

The spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitri Peskov, denigrated M^me Navalnaïa, downplaying her link with Russia, even though she was forced into exile.

Yulia Navalnaïa 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 because of repression and for fear of being mobilized into the army.

Across the world, thousands of them responded to the opposition’s call on Sunday midday and went to vote en masse together against Mr. Putin.

In places in Moscow as in St. Petersburg, large queues also formed at the appointed time. But in front of other polling stations, the crowds did not seem particularly high.