Putin election 'victory' is utter sham - Angus Robertson

Vladimir Putin had the gall to tell his officials when he met them in November: “The most important outcome of any Russian election is legitimacy. That is the foundation of political stability.”

Vladimir Putin in Moscow on March 18, 2024

With his election victory an utter sham the whole world can see, his statements were a lesson in the Russian concept of “vranyo”. This word describes one side stating something that both sides know not to be true, yet the liar shamelessly persevering with their version of events as if they were true.

Indeed, his alleged 87 per cent win of the vote share followed the persecution and murder of political enemies including Alexei Navalny, whom Putin mentioned by name for the first time in his “acceptance” speech. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, rightly denounced Putin as a “killer” and “gangster”. Dead Russians’ names were on the list of those who voted for Putin and virtually no access was given to objective observers.

One of the only independent electoral observers, David Kankiya of the Golos organisation, who has been jailed by the Russian President said: “Over the years the presidential administration has created more and more favourable conditions for itself. But this time it reached an unprecedented peak… Only three Kremlin candidates separated Putin from a Stalin-style ballot with one name.”

In his speech President Putin’s menace was once more on show, saying the world would be one step away from World War Three if Nato troops were used in Ukraine. Above all, this bogus election was a demonstration of why the world must continue to support Ukraine against this murderous coward.