Putin accused Ukraine of interfering in the parliamentary elections in Russia

Putin Accused Ukraine of Interfering in Russia's Parliamentary Elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukraine is deliberately obstructing negotiations aimed at ending the war. He also accused Kyiv of interfering in the parliamentary elections in Russia.

Putin made these remarks at a meeting of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission, without providing any evidence.

"The Ukrainian leadership is in no hurry to hold elections. But they are trying to interfere with ours," Putin said.

According to him, power in Ukraine has already turned into a dictatorship. Putin explained this by the fact that although the term of office of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expired, no new presidential election has been held.

However, martial law has been in place in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022. Zelenskyy and other officials state that elections cannot be held during martial law. Kyiv called the elections in Russia "sham elections" with predetermined results.

The three-day parliamentary elections in Russia began on September 18. Most anti-war candidates were not allowed to run in the election. According to Reuters, the Kremlin wants to present the election results as proof of public support for Putin's policies.

Putin said that Ukraine's strikes on Russian facilities show that Kyiv is not ready for peace talks. As an example, he cited an incident in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia, where the head of a local election commission was killed as a result of a Ukrainian strike.

"By committing such crimes, they are doing everything to ensure there is no peace and no negotiations," Putin said.

At the meeting, Putin said that Russia's defense still relies on the "nuclear triad" — land, sea, and air weapons. He also stressed the need to improve air defense systems.

Ukraine is rapidly developing its drone capabilities. The country is striking industrial facilities up to 3,000 kilometers away from the Russian border. This is disrupting fuel supplies and daily life in Russia.

"Yes, we do not rule out such a possibility. We are talking precisely about the near future. That is, approximately, October. October cannot be ruled out," said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian president.