DISINFO: The European Parliament interferes in Russia's internal affairs
SUMMARY
Members of the European Parliament, having adopted a resolution calling not to recognise the results of the presidential elections in Russia, expressed only their helpless anger and Russophobia. Do European MEPs really not understand that their opuses like this are perceived by everyone as attempts to directly interfere in the internal affairs of third countries? This Russophobic bubble is destined to burst at the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 6-9, 2024. Let's see if the next bubble will be just as filled with anti-Russian substance.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on the invasion of Ukraine and sham referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories. Also this is a claim alleging that the Russian Federation is democratic while EU countries are administrated from the outside and undemocratic.
On April 25, 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution recognising Putin as an illegitimate president. Following the so-called presidential election held by Russia on 15-17 March 2024, MEPs urged EU member states and the international community not to recognise the outcome as legitimate, as it was held in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine.
Russia, with its 'elections' in Ukrainian territories, not only grossly violated the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, but also neglected all the norms and principles of international law, in particular the UN Charter. Not a single democratic country in the world recognised the results of this “vote”, illegally conducted by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
In Russia, the 'Putin elections' also took place with numerous violations of international law; the 'elections' were not open and transparent.
Following the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on April 17, 2024 adopted resolution №2540 regarding the actions of Russia. Among other things, the resolution calls on the Council of Europe member and observer States and the European Union to strengthen the effects of Resolution 2519 (2023) by formally recognising Vladimir Putin’s illegitimacy as President of the Russian Federation.
On October 13, 2023, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) did recommend that the member states of the Council of Europe “recognise Vladimir Putin as illegitimate after the end of his current presidential term and to cease all contact with him, except for humanitarian contact and in the pursuit of peace.”
The PACE resolution emphasises that Putin has been in power continuously since 2000 and that changes made to the Russian Constitution in July 2020 allow him to remain in the presidency until 2036. Read the full story here.
See similar cases: New Russian regions Zaporizhzhia and Kherson elect deputies for the first time and Four Ukrainian regions voted to join Russia in public referendums; Crimean referendum of nine years ago represents the highest form of democracy and Crimea voted overwhelmingly to join Russia following Maidan.