West fails to sabotage Russian elections: Russia's Deputy FM
3 Min Read
As the voting process is still ongoing abroad, Russia criticizes the sabotage attempt the West has tried to implement, affirming that they failed.
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A Russian serviceman leaves a voting booth at a polling station during a presidential election in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, March 15, 2024 (AP)
Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Elections Commission, Yevgeny Ivanov, has stated that the West underestimated the will of Russians abroad regarding their country's elections.
As the voting process is still ongoing, considering the time difference between the West and Russia, Ivanov said "It is safe to say that our opponents have failed to undermine the Russian presidential election for our fellow citizens abroad and discourage them from exercising their constitutional right to choose the path forward for our country."
The top Russian diplomat also noted that the West's attempts at sabotaging the Russian elections were all foiled. Intimidation tactics, such as bombing threats, were all swiftly obstructed by Russian security forces abroad and law enforcement agencies, allowing the elections to smoothly proceed.
"The level of mobilization that we see today makes it clear that despite all the attempts to stop us, despite the war and the highly toxic information environment in the Western media, our fellow citizens believe that it’s necessary to demonstrate their allegiance to the country," Ivanov continued.
He commended the Russian people's pride and belonging to their country, even when surrounded by hostile environments. They are politically active; they understand how important it is to take part in the election in the current situation and they trust the Russian election system," he lastly said.
Read more: Ukraine attacks Russian electoral center aiming to disrupt election
Russian emb. in France slams lack of security measures on voting polls
Earlier on Sunday, Russia slammed the lack of security measures employed by the French authorities.
According to Alexey Popov, the secretary of a precinct election commission at the Russian Embassy in France, the absence of organized field voting was due to the inability to guarantee its safety.
"This year, French authorities provided security in a very limited way. Also, this year, the field voting was not organized, since it is impossible to ensure its safety. Unfortunately, the situation today does not allow us to do what we could afford to do before," Popov told reporters.
He further noted that French authorities addressed the embassy's security request "quite late" and failed to establish a continuous police presence at the polling stations across France.
"A police post is set up in Paris, and at other polling stations they are limited to more or less regular raids, but not the permanent police presence. So the security leaves much to be desired," Popov said.
Read more: Putin leading with 87.8% in Russian presidential election: Exit polls
