Vladimir Putin's re-election in Russia's presidential election, which extends his term by six years, has sparked strong reactions from world leaders. NDTV reported.
The VTsIOM survey, conducted by Russian authorities, announced Putin's victory just as time was running out in the westernmost part of the country, Kaliningrad, at 17:00 GMT.
A White House National Security Council official questioned the election process, saying: “The elections are obviously neither free nor fair given that Mr. Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him.”
In line with the German Foreign Ministry which denounced the elections saying: “The pseudo-elections in Russia are neither free nor fair, the result will not surprise anyone. Putin's government is authoritarian, based on censorship, repression and violence. The “elections” in the occupied territories of Ukraine are null and void and constitute another violation of international law.”
While the British Foreign Office expressed apprehension over Russia's plan to hold elections in Ukraine, it made it clear that the move goes against the pace-setting process.
The United Kingdom reaffirmed its obligation to support Ukraine by providing humanitarian, economic and military aid to preserve democracy.
