Putin gives his victory speech after the Russian elections. However, Ukrainian President Zelensky will not be intimidated. More information in the news blog.
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China considers participation in peace conference
8.25 a.m.: China is considering taking part in the peace conference planned in Switzerland. “It must be prevented that the crisis gets even worse or even gets out of control,” says the Chinese ambassador in Bern, Wang Shihting, to the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung”. “We are closely following the Ukraine conference (…) and are examining the possibility of taking part in it.” Russia has rejected the conference planned for the summer as pointless.
First congratulations for Putin from Latin America and Central Asia
5.30 a.m.: According to official information, Russian President Vladimir Putin has received his first congratulations from several authoritarian countries after his re-election. The heads of state of Nicaragua, Tajikistan and Venezuela sent congratulations, the Russian state news agency Tass said on Monday morning. “With more than 87 percent (of the vote), Putin has completely won the war against the empire of the collective West,” she quoted Venezuelan head of state Nicolás Maduro as saying. Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela in an authoritarian manner since 2013 and is seeking re-election in the summer, described the victory of his “older brother” as a good sign for the whole world. Read more reactions to the election here.
Zelensky: Putin’s election fraud has no legitimacy
5 o’clock: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has denied Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin the legitimacy of his election success. “This election fraud has no legitimacy and cannot have any,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Sunday. “This figure (Putin) must end up in the dock in The Hague – we must ensure that, everyone in the world who values life and decency.” Ukraine’s demands for a peace agreement with Moscow include, among other things, that Russian political and military leaders be held accountable before an international court.
Putin has been faking another election these days. “It is clear to everyone in the world that this figure, as so often in history, is simply obsessed with power and will do anything to rule for life,” Zelensky said. “There is no evil that he will not commit to prolong his personal power.”
In view of the Russian invasion of his homeland and the war that has now lasted more than two years, Zelenskyj demanded justice. “There must be just retribution for everything Russian murderers have done in this war and in the interests of Putin’s lifelong power,” he said. “He’s only afraid of one thing – justice.” There is an arrest warrant issued by the World Criminal Court in The Hague against Putin because of allegations of war crimes in Ukraine.
Russia accuses the US of blocking the embassy during the elections
3:46 a.m.: The Russian Embassy in the US wants to protest against possible actions by US secret services during the Russian presidential election on Sunday in a diplomatic note to the government in Washington, according to a report by the state news agency Tass. Secret service agents “blocked the entrance to the Russian embassy and hindered Russian citizens who wanted to vote,” Tass quoted the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, as saying. President Vladimir Putin won a record landslide victory in the elections and further consolidated his position in power.
Putin warns of World War III if NATO deploys in Ukraine
2:05 a.m.: Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning the West that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO countries would bring the world one step closer to a third world war. Asked by the Reuters news agency about French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine and the risks and opportunities of a conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin replied: “Everything is possible in the modern world.” Everyone knows that it will then only be one step towards the great Third World War. “I don’t think anyone is interested in it,” Putin said.
