The United States condemned Russia’s election as “undemocratic” and said it will not congratulate President Vladimir Putin, who was proclaimed the winner by a large margin.
When asked about Putin’s reelection, State Department spokeswoman Vedant Patel replied sarcastically, “I was on the edge of my seat.” It was such a close call.
“This was an incredibly undemocratic process,” Patel told reporters.
Asked if the United States was withholding recognition of the result, as urged by some dissidents, Patel said, “I think it is safe to say that there certainly won’t be congratulatory calls coming from the United States of America.”
“He is likely to remain the president of Russia, but that does not excuse him of his autocracy,” Patel said.
Patel faulted Putin for disqualifying and jailing opponents, and for the death in prison before the vote of one of his most prominent challengers, Alexei Navalny.
Russians “deserve free and fair elections and the ability to choose among a group of candidates representing a diverse set of expressions,” Patel said.
Russians also “deserve access to impartial information to help them choose the leadership that they so desire and help them determine the future of their country,” he said.
“That was clearly not the case in these elections, which were neither free nor fair.”
The United States has had little contact with Putin since he ignored US warnings and ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The US reaction follows similar criticism from European partners who questioned how the election was conducted.