DDuring the presentation of the Defense expenditure report for 2023, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the elections in Russia, scheduled for this week, they will not be “free” or “fair”.
“We can say before the elections that they will not be free or fair, because to have free and fair elections you need competition, different lists, an open discussion and a free and independent press. There is no free and independent press in Russia”Stoltenberg told journalists.
In the same presentation, the leader of the Atlantic Alliance argued that “the president [Vladimir] Putin has held power in Russia for decades and no one expects this week’s Russian elections to bring any change in the Kremlin.”.
“Of course, Russian attempts to organize any part of an election in the occupied regions of Ukraine are completely illegal, violating international law“, he further predicted, regretting that “Russian citizens cannot count on freedom and justice because opposition politicians are dead, in prison or in exile and the press is not free”.
Recently, Russia has threatened with the approach of troops to the country’s border with Finland, which recently became a member of NATO, falling under the broad protection of the Alliance, in which, if one of its ally is attacked, all others allies must take positions in the face of this aggression.
Stoltenberg de-dramatized the threats, however, assuring that “Finland is safer now” than before being part of the Alliance.
“Almost all Russian military forces are involved in war aggression against Ukraine, so we do not see any imminent aggression against any NATO ally. But we will closely monitor and monitor what Russia does along NATO borders. The Alliance has been able to protect its allies for 75 years and will continue to do so, including with Finland as an ally”, concluded the Secretary General.
This week’s Russian elections are expected to result in Putin remaining in power until 2030, the year in which he turns 77, with the possibility of an additional term until 2036, thanks to a constitutional change made in 2020.
Read Also: Troops on the border with Finland? “There wasn’t, but now there will be”
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2521354/russia-podemos-dizer-antes-das-eleicoes-que-nao-serao-livres-e-justas
