The Central Election Commission (CEC) declared Putin the winner of the 2024 Russian presidential election with 87.29 percent of the vote – or 64.7 million of Russia’s 74.5 million eligible voters, bar online voters.
But CEC Head Ella Pamfilova claimed over 87.1 million Russians had voted between March 15 and March 17.
The results were met with scepticism across the world, with the election dubbed a “sham” vote.
UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said: “Putin removes his political opponents, controls the media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to congratulate Putin on his win, with a spokesperson noting Berlin considered the results “predetermined.”
Lithuania has hinted it plans to formally refuse to recognise the outcome of the vote, describing Putin’s victory as a “reappointment lacking any legitimacy”.
And US National Security spokesperson John Kirby said: “The elections are obviously not free nor fair given how Mr Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him.”
