Russian Invasion Putin’s Russia

EU’s Kallas dismisses the election: “Never any doubt”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas dismisses the weekend’s Russian parliamentary election, in which Putin’s party, United Russia, secured a clear majority as expected. Writing on X, she notes that the Kremlin silenced dissent and barred the only party opposing the war in Ukraine, according to multiple media reports.

“The so-called Duma election marked yet another major setback for Russian democracy. There was never any doubt about the outcome,” Kallas writes.

United Russia is projected to receive nearly 58 percent of the vote, corresponding to 355 of the 450 seats in parliament.

Analysis: Putin can continue the war – and create a new elite

Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, retains its grip on the Russian parliament following the weekend’s election—an election that was neither free nor fair, and from which political opponents were barred.

In an analysis, the BBC’s Steve Rosenberg writes that the Kremlin will likely use the result to claim that the Russian people wholeheartedly support their president:

“At the very least, they will likely use the result as a popular mandate to continue the war,” he writes.

Reuters’ Andrew Osborn notes in an analysis that Putin’s grip on Russia has never been stronger and that the president will likely highlight the fact that 200 war veterans were among the parliamentary candidates.

“Putin has said that those fighting in Ukraine are ‘warriors’ and part of a new elite [...] He wants to show that Moscow takes care of those who risk their lives and that military service can lead to a high-profile political career,” Osborn writes.