Despite Western criticism of the presidential election process in Russia, and Vladimir Putin’s expected victory, many of Putin’s “friends” in Asia, Africa, and South America came out to congratulate him.
While Western leaders denounced illegitimate elections, the Russian President’s allies were quick to congratulate him and affirm their support and alliance.
“Suppression and intimidation” and “voting without a choice”… European comments on Putin’s election
European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell said on Monday that the re-election of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia took place in elections based on “repression and intimidation.”
The Russian Electoral Commission announced on Monday that Putin achieved a “record” victory in the elections that concluded on Sunday, considering this evidence that the country is united behind the president who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century.
The head of the committee, Ella Pamfilova, said, “It is a record indicator,” explaining that Putin received “about 76 million” votes, representing 87.29 percent.
The comments of leaders across Europe and the United States contrast sharply with the congratulatory messages that poured in to Putin from countries in Asia, Africa and South America, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was quick to congratulate Putin, saying that his victory “demonstrates the support of the Russian people” for him. Xi said: “In recent years, the Russian people have united to overcome challenges… I believe that with your leadership, Russia will be able to achieve greater achievements in development.” Nationalism and reconstruction.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi sent his Russian counterpart “his sincere congratulations on his decisive victory and re-election as President of the Russian Federation.”
As for the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he believed that “the positive development of relations between Turkey and Russia will continue, and he announced that Turkey is ready to play the role of mediator in order to return to the negotiating table with Ukraine,” according to what was stated in a statement by the Turkish presidency.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Russian President, stressing that he looked forward to developing the “special” relationship with Putin.
Modi wrote on the X platform: “I look forward to working together to strengthen the special and distinguished strategic partnership that has stood the test of time between India and Russia in the coming years.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Monday that Russian voters showed their “steadfast support” for Putin in the elections.
“The Russian people have shown their desire to strengthen social and political unity around you and build a strong Russia,” Kim wrote in a letter addressed to Putin, reported by the TASS news agency.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro considered that “our older brother won, and this brings good news to the world.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the official result is “a sincere indication that the Russian people support (Putin’s) management of the country.”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a statement addressed to Putin: “I congratulate you on your victory and your re-election as President of the Russian Federation by a large majority, which confirms the high confidence of the Russian people in you, your national policies, and your strategic visions.”
He wished Putin “good luck and success in his responsibilities and tasks and the distinguished relations between Syria and Russia and the effective bilateral cooperation that brings them together further prosperity.”
The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, sent a congratulatory telegram to the Russian President, wishing him success and “further development and growth in relations between the two countries.”
The Bahraini Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, sent a cable of congratulations to Putin, “the President of the friendly Russian Federation, on the occasion of his victory in the presidential elections for a new presidential term.”
For its part, the Saudi News Agency “SPA” wrote, “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince congratulate the President of the Russian Federation on the occasion of his re-election for a new presidential term.”
They expressed their “sincere congratulations and best wishes of success to His Excellency, and to the friendly people of the Russian Federation, further progress and prosperity.”
In a statement published by the Egyptian presidency, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi extended his “sincere congratulations” to Putin.
The contradictory reactions between the West and other regions around the world highlight the geopolitical changes that have appeared on a large scale since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about two years ago, which led to a crisis in relations between Russia and the West, according to The Guardian.
The newspaper said that in the face of increasingly tense relations with the United States, China has sought to expand its influence internationally, “Motivated by the belief that the era of American hegemony has come to an end, Beijing has tried to secure its own sphere of influence that contrasts with the West, and Russia has proven its Putin pledged to be a willing partner in this endeavor.”
After declaring “victory” on Monday, Putin used a speech to his supporters to once again declare that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of the People’s Republic of China,” in a message addressed to the Beijing government, which seeks to annex Taiwan.
China and Russia are also members of the BRICS group, which aims to compete with the United States by uniting emerging economies, such as Brazil, South Africa and India.
After Russia started its war on Ukraine, 141 countries voted in favor of a UN resolution condemning the invasion.
However, this endorsement does not reflect the fact that two-thirds of the world’s population lives in neutral or Russian-leaning countries, according to the Economist’s Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The analysis found that countries such as Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and India did their best to avoid taking sides in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Modi echoed Xi’s words, saying he looked forward to strengthening the “special and distinguished strategic partnership” between New Delhi and Moscow.
Since the war began in February 2022, Modi has been careful not to take a strong stance against the invasion, and India has been the largest single buyer of Russian oil, as Indian refineries benefited from the significant decline in Russian oil prices after Europe banned its imports, and India at the same time eased… Of pressure on the Russian oil industry, which strengthened the alliance between the two countries.
Latin American leaders, who had a historical dispute with the United States, celebrated Putin’s victory, which reflects the increased rapprochement between these countries and Moscow after Russia’s isolation from the West.
Putin’s victory was warmly received in many West and Central African countries, such as Mali and Niger, which are now governed by military juntas that came to power through coups.
Russia has sought to court many of these countries in the Sahel region, after cutting ties with its traditional allies, France and the United States, in the wake of the coups.
Putin used the collapse of the grain agreement, which ensured the continued export of food from Ukraine to global markets, many of them in Africa, as a way to bolster his support in the region.
In July 2023, he promised to deliver free grain shipments to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Eritrea. The first batches were already shipped last month, according to the Russian government.
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