Putin Praised by North Korea, Faces Western Criticism Post-Elections

Cerstin Gammelin, spokeswoman for the German president, conveyed that Frank-Walter Steinmeier will abstain from extending congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his victory in the perceived fraudulent elections.

"There will be no letter to Putin". In a tweet on Sunday (X), Steinmeier himself expressed his thoughts regarding the individuals in Russia who are actively advocating for democracy. "Today I am thinking about the people in Russia who are fighting for freedom and democracy and living in constant danger from the Putin regime. We will not forget these courageous people", Steinmeier wrote on the day of the Russian presidential sham elections.

During the 2018 Russian presidential elections, Steinmeier extended congratulations to the leader of the Kremlin.

"The pseudo-elections in Russia are neither free nor fair; the result does not surprise anyone. Putin's rule is authoritarian; it relies on censorship, repression, and violence. "Elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine are invalid. They are another violation of international law," states a message from the German Foreign Ministry.

German experts in foreign affairs also made substantial allegations against Putin. "These are the most unfree fraudulent elections since the end of the Soviet Union," said Michael Roth, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in the newspaper "Tagesspiegel". "Putin's regime exhibits fascist and totalitarian characteristics."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled Vladimir Putin a power-hungry "autocrat" on Sunday, as the Russian president appeared poised to secure another six-year term in elections criticized by Kyiv.

"It is clear to everyone in the world that this figure - as has happened so often in history - is simply sick from power and is doing everything he can to rule forever. There is no evil he will not commit to prolong his personal power", Zelensky stated in a social media post.

"The presidential elections in Russia were conducted under significant constraints, exacerbated by the illegal aggressive war against Ukraine", said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell in a statement on behalf of the EU.

European Union High Representative Josep Borrell denounced the crackdown on opposition figures, civil society groups, and free media outlets through oppressive laws and biased legal rulings. Borrell underscored the tragic death of Alexei Navalny before the election as further evidence of escalating suppression while lamenting Russian citizens' lack of genuine voting options and restricted access to reliable information. Borrell reassured continued support for Russian civil organizations, human rights defenders, and independent media.

The EU expressed regret over Moscow's decision to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the elections, citing contradictions with Russia's commitments and depriving voters and institutions of an impartial assessment.

Furthermore, the EU condemned the illegal holding of elections in occupied Ukrainian territories by Russia, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as a violation of international law.

French foreign ministry highlighted Putin's re-election amidst a crackdown on civil society and praised the courage of Russian citizens who peacefully protested against the encroachment on their political rights. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis declared Putin's victory as illegitimate due to the absence of free voting opportunities.

Similarly, the Polish government criticized the elections as illegal, particularly in occupied parts of Ukraine, emphasizing severe repression and lack of monitoring by international observers from OSCE. Meanwhile, Putin received congratulations from authoritarian countries like China, North Korea, Nicaragua, Tajikistan, and Venezuela, with leaders hailing the victory as a triumph against the West.

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