In an eyebrow-raising move, the Russian embassy in the UK launched a scathing attack on Foreign Secretary David Cameron, offering a peculiar take on President Vladimir Putin’s recent re-election for his fifth term.
Describing Cameron’s comments on the election as “not democracy”, particularly in light of Moscow’s efforts to stifle opposition to what Cameron termed “his illegal war”, the embassy’s statement, shared on social media platform X and its website, accused Cameron of delivering “knowingly biased assessments” on the election outcome.
“In the past few days, British officials surpassed themselves in hypocritical statements designed to discredit the free expression of the will of the Russian people,” the embassy alleged, referring to widespread reports of voters being coerced to cast their ballots under the scrutiny of armed troops, both in Russia and in occupied parts of Ukraine.
Despite Putin’s claim of securing a staggering 87% of the vote, his largest share since assuming power in 2000, the embassy lambasted Cameron’s characterisation of the election as undemocratic, deeming it “unacceptable” and indicative of London’s purported desperation to undermine the Kremlin.
Asserting that “the British establishment has become nervous” in the face of Russia’s perceived “maturity and unity” and continued support for the Ukraine war, the embassy called on London to abandon its “confrontational logic” and refrain from promoting anti-Russian rhetoric.
In a stark departure from acknowledging Russia’s own involvement in the conflict, the embassy accused the Ukrainian military of committing “pervasive crimes” and criticised London for purportedly covering up these actions.
Despite the apparent option for voters to choose among multiple candidates, all of whom publicly voiced their support for Putin, including his most prominent critic, Alexei Navalny, who died under mysterious circumstances earlier this year, the Russian president, in his victory speech, claimed he had planned a prisoner swap with Navalny before his demise, although no evidence supports this assertion.
Addressing Navalny’s death, Putin remarked, “It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It’s life.”
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