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By:FRANCE 24<\/a>Follow<\/a>|FRANCE 24<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ADVERTISING<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the results of the 2024 presidential election<\/a> was never in doubt, many Russians<\/a> attempted to defy the inevitable outcome, heeding a call to protest Putin<\/a>\u2019s repression at home and his war in Ukraine by showing up at polling stations at noon on the last voting day of a three-day election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But from the earliest returns, it was clear Putin would extend his nearly quarter-century rule with a fifth term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final results announced Monday, which did not include votes from abroad, showed Putin winning 87.28 percent of votes. The three other candidates who ran \u2013 but did not openly challenged Putin \u2013 won 4.31, 3.85 and 3.20 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read moreRussia\u2019s presidential election: Three Putin challengers but little suspense<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a round-up of the main reactions so far:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 The EU\u2019s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell<\/a> said the election had not been free and fair and was based on repression and intimidation. Borrell added that the 27 EU nations would issue a joint statement on the election later on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Ukraine<\/a>\u2018s President Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> dismissed the result as illegitimate. \u201cEveryone in the world understands that this person, like many others throughout history, has become sick with power and will stop at nothing to rule forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is no evil he would not do to maintain his personal power. And no one in the world would have been safeguarded from this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 France<\/a> said the election took place amid \u201crepression\u201d and hailed the \u201cmany\u201d Russians who demonstrated their opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe conditions for a free, pluralist and democratic election were not met,\u201d the French foreign ministry said, adding the three-day vote took place amid \u201cincreasing repression of civil society and all forms of opposition to the regime\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrance salutes the courage of the many Russian citizens who have peacefully demonstrated their opposition to this attack on their fundamental political rights,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read moreRussian presidential election: The dashed hopes of Russian exiles in France<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Germany<\/a>\u2018s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock<\/a> dismissed Putin\u2019s re-election as a vote \u201cwithout choice\u201d after all genuine opposition was crushed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The election process shows \u201cPutin\u2019s heinous behaviour against his own people\u201d, Baerbock said at a meeting in Brussels. \u201cThe election in Russia was an election without a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Britain\u2019s Foreign Minister David Cameron<\/a> said the \u201cillegal\u201d elections featured \u201ca lack of choice for voters and no independent OSCE monitoring\u201d, adding: \u201cThis is not what free and fair elections look like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Italian<\/a> Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the \u201celections were neither free nor fair\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are continuing to work for a just peace that will bring Russia to put an end to the war of aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Czech<\/a> Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called the election a \u201cfarce and parody\u201d. He said: \u201cThis was the Russian presidential election that showed how this regime suppresses civil society, independent media, opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Former oligarch and prominent Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky<\/a> called on Western governments not to recognise Putin\u2019s election win, affirming that the opposition was united against the Russian ruler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is now about\u2026 finally publicly recognising Putin as illegitimate,\u201d said Khodorkovsky. \u201cWe have high expectations for Western society, who we ask to turn to their governments to ask them not to recognise Putin as legitimate,\u201d he said<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Beijing congratulated Putin, saying that \u201cChina<\/a> and Russia<\/a> are each other\u2019s largest neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in the new era.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said President Xi Jinping<\/a> and Putin \u201cwill continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold longstanding good-neighbourly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi<\/a> said in a congratulatory message to Putin that he looked forward to boosting ties to develop their \u201cspecial\u201d relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook forward to working together to further strengthen the time-tested Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India<\/a> and Russia in the years to come,\u201d Modi wrote on social media platform X. He also offered his \u201cwarm congratulations\u201d to Putin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Turkey\u2019s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan<\/a> congratulated Putin and offered to mediate between Moscow and Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a phone call with Putin on Monday, Erdogan said Turkey was ready to play a facilitator role to return to the negotiating table with Ukraine,\u201d the Turkish presidency said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un<\/a> in his congratulatory message said Russian voters had shown \u201cunshakeable support\u201d for Putin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour reelection to the heavy responsibility of the head of state is the Russian people\u2019s valuable estimate of the outstanding leadership and tenacious executive ability you displayed in state activities,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Bosnian Serb<\/a> leader Milorad Dodik said: \u201cThe Serb people welcomed with joy the victory of President Putin for they see in him a great statesman and a friend on whom we can always count and who will watch over our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro<\/a> said: \u201cOur older brother has triumphed, which bodes well for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n (FRANCE 24 with AFP , AP and Reuters)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Vladimir Putin won a fifth term in the Kremlin with 87.28 percent of the vote, Russia\u2019s electoral commission said Monday, after a three-day ballot in which he ran against no real challengers. While Putin\u2019s friends and allies were quick to congratulate him, Western leaders denounced what they called an… Continue reading Conditions for \u2018free\u2019 election not met, France says<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
China, India, Turkey congratulate Putin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n