U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Russian election produced inaccurate results. According to Blinken, the reelection of Vladimir Putin took place "under intense repression," stripping the Russian citizens of the means to participate.
"Russia's election occurred under intense repression and the imprisonment, death, or exile of virtually all political opposition. The Kremlin denied citizens a transparent, meaningful democratic process and unsurprisingly delivered an undemocratic result," said Blinken, according to X.
Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, Putin will remain president until the end of the decade, having won 87.3% of the vote on a record turnout of 77.5%, as reported by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on March 18.
According to a State Department news release, Putin and other ruling government officials in Russia have suppressed information regarding citizens' ability to vote. American government officials have pledged support for individuals seeking a "brighter future" for their country.
"The Kremlin has systematically marginalized groups advocating for democratic processes and rule of law, including election monitors. Russian authorities also denied anti-war candidates’ registration for the presidential election on spurious technical pretenses and did not invite the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, or any credible international organizations, to observe polling. These steps illustrate the extent to which the Kremlin has denied its citizens a transparent, meaningful democratic process. Against this backdrop, this election can only be described as undemocratic," said Blinken in the release.
In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials have prioritized censoring any dissenting voices who oppose the war, according to the news release.
"The Kremlin conducted sham presidential elections in temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine as a blatant propaganda exercise, in hopes it would strengthen Russia’s illegitimate claim to parts of Ukraine it illegally invaded and now occupies," Blinken stated. "Weeks before the election, Aleksey Navalny died in prison after years of harassment and cruel treatment at the hands of Russian authorities for his continued efforts to foster genuine democracy in Russia."
