Voices on Putin's victory:

“Threat to the world” – “West must show its colors”

"Putin's election triumph does not bode well": International daily newspapers comment on the presidential election in Russia.

(Bild: AFP Screenshots/FinancialTimes, Independent, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Krone KREATIV)

Following Vladimir Putin's election triumph, international daily newspapers are not very squeamish about the Russian president. "Putin is a threat to the world", wrote the Financial Times, for example. According to the Independent, the West must now show its colors.

Following a presidential election accompanied by allegations of manipulation, Russia's electoral commission has awarded Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin a record result of just under 88% of the vote for the time being. This was announced by election supervisor Ella Pamfilova on Sunday evening after almost a quarter of the ballots had been counted. The 71-year-old Putin thus gained more than ten percentage points compared to the 2018 election.

International daily newspapers commented on the presidential election in Russia on Monday as follows

"The Independent" (London): "With this expectedly clear result behind them, Putin and the Kremlin will see the election as a sign of support for the war in Ukraine. And this is where Western countries need to show their support by providing Kiev with the weapons, ammunition and resources its armed forces need to defend themselves against Russian troops."

"Putin's election triumph does not bode well": International dailies comment on the presidential election in Russia.

(Bild: AFP Screenshots/FinancialTimes, Independent, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Krone KREATIV)

"Financial Times" (London): "He has crushed political competition at home and brought war back to the European continent in a big way - with a high six-figure toll of dead and wounded. All of this is a tragedy - especially for the people of Ukraine and Russia. But a fifth Putin term is also a threat to Europe and the world. This is not the first time in Russia's history that repression at home has gone hand in hand with a more aggressive foreign policy. The recent election was an even bigger farce than its predecessors, as most of the real contenders are either in exile, imprisoned or dead."

"Neue Zürcher Zeitung": "The handling of the opposing candidates, the repression and the choreography of the election by the presidential administration showed, despite the self-assurance displayed by the regime, that a great deal of effort was needed to make its brilliance shine even brighter. Putin's opponents were deliberately crushed with the now foreseeable result of almost 90 percent. This triumph of those in power does not bode well for all dissenters in the country."

"Corriere della Sera" (Rome): "The special election operation is over. Vladimir Putin has completed his transformation into a war czar, at the head of a country whose future he sees in eternal conflict. That was the purpose of this deliberate plebiscite, which was very close to the Kremlin's heart: an increasingly authoritarian and personalized political system needs regular confirmation of how popular its leader is.

"Izvestia" (Moscow): "The presidential election in Russia saw a record turnout: According to preliminary data, more than 74 percent of citizens chose to cast their vote in 2024. This speaks for the consolidation of Russian society against the backdrop of external threats. Several members of the Central Election Commission told Izvestia that the high level of activity in the election was also due to the actions of the Kiev regime, which stepped up its attacks on territories close to the border during the election days. Experts explain the record results with the phenomenon of 'cohesion around the flag' - when the citizens of a country that is part of a military conflict consolidate around the ruling leadership."

"Nezavisimaya Gazeta" (Moscow): "The presidential election showed a real competition between regions and corporations for the highest voter turnout. The regional authorities urged the loyal electorate (condescendingly referred to by some experts as the dependent electorate) to vote, while big business, municipal enterprises, utilities and other large employers lured them directly to the polling stations. It was clear to see that there was competition between the regions to see which of them could top the list of voter mobilization records. This was undoubtedly fueled by cases of hooliganism at polling stations by individual citizens who were either out of their minds due to their age, deceived by hostile propaganda or have mental problems. There were more than two dozen incidents on the first day alone. The pouring of green paint into the ballot boxes could have been a reaction to the known cases in which opposition members were doused with such liquid. It was noticeable that state propaganda eagerly spread these cases, which further inflamed the atmosphere. The political protests at the polling stations at midday on 17 March and the rioting of some citizens only served to intensify the mobilization of the loyalists in the end."