West’s tough line on Russian elections is due to Ukraine war: expert
Hassan Beheshtipour, an expert on Russia, has said explored the reason for the West’s tough reactions to the Russian presidential election, which resulted in a landslide win for incumbent Vladimir Putin.
Stressing that the recent Russian elections were similar to past elections, Beheshtipour said, “The fact that the European Union is seen criticizing Russia sharply during the presidential elections is rooted in the conflict between the West and Russia over the Ukraine case. Note that in Russia we are witnessing a controlled democracy. This does not mean that the votes of other candidates will be counted in favor of Putin, but in general the elections in this country will proceed in such a way that Putin will be the final winner.”
He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with ILNA.
He added, “The re-election of Putin as the President of Russia will not change the policies of the Kremlin and the same process will continue. If he is again nominated for the presidential election after 2030 and wins, he will record his name higher than Stalin in the political history of Russia for the leadership of this country. It seems that Putin is looking to change the way of the West instead of changing the way of the Kremlin, but we must note that he has not considered any alternative for himself and he is suggesting to the public opinion that he will revive the tsar's rule and strengthen the current Russia.”