EU's Kaja Kallas condemns Russian elections as a ‘veneer of democracy’

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has condemned the recent Russian parliamentary elections, describing them as a ‘veneer of democracy.’ Kallas stated that the elections marked a significant setback for Russian democracy, noting that the outcome was never in doubt.

According to Kallas, the Kremlin silenced dissenting voices, barred the only registered party that opposed the war in Ukraine, and excluded international election monitors. The ruling party, United Russia, secured a comfortable victory in an environment where meaningful opposition was absent and dissent is strictly suppressed by authorities.

Kallas further noted that no parties opposing Moscow's war in Ukraine were permitted to participate. She has proposed measures against those facilitating these elections in occupied Ukrainian territories.