The Kremlin still plans to hold presidential elections in early 2024 despite the invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, Interfax news agency reported.
In February, incumbent President Vladimir Putin had already indicated that he is committed to the elections, in which he is expected to be a candidate.
In recent weeks, Russian society has already been speculating about the postponement and even cancellation, also due to statements by high-ranking officials. On Monday, Ella Pamfilova, chairman of the electoral commission, accused the West of sabotaging the elections. “Western countries, especially the United States, spend huge amounts of money on this,” says Pamfilova.
The Kremlin spokesman confirmed Pamfilova’s statements, but he is still convinced that the polls will proceed. He expects that the pressure due to the, in Russian terminology, “special military operation” will increase even further.
A constitutional reform in 2021 made the previous terms of President Vladimir Putin irrelevant. As a result, the 71-year-old can run again in 2024 and be a presidential candidate in 2030.
Putin’s candidacy has not yet been officially announced, but at the beginning of this year, the newspaper Kommersant wrote that preparations had begun. However, his spokesperson later denied that.
