Staff Reports
The White House Calls Putin’s Reelection a Sham
The White House has come out swinging against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent reelection, making it abundantly clear that they do not see anything free or fair about it. In fact, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan didn’t mince words, stating that the outcome was pretty much decided before the first ballot was even cast.
Putin has now secured his fifth presidential term, leaving him in charge for another six years and solidifying his iron grip on Russia. And let’s be real, the election really didn’t offer any other viable choices for the voters. It was basically a Putin or Putin scenario.
Sullivan didn’t shy away from laying out the laundry list of reasons why the White House is calling foul on this election. From shutting down any real opposition to locking up political opponents and, sadly, even some dying, it’s clear that Putin had the deck stacked in his favor before the race even began.
Russia’s Central Election Commission is reporting that Putin took home nearly 88% of the vote in the early counts, but come on, we all know that’s about as reliable as a fox guarding the henhouse. And let’s not forget that this election happened right in the midst of the Ukraine conflict and on the heels of the tragic death of Putin’s loudest critic, Alexei Navalny. Coincidence? We think not.
Speaking of Navalny, his supporters weren’t about to let Putin’s victory go unchallenged. They took to the streets to make some noise and show their disdain for the Kremlin, even though their efforts were met with resistance. It’s clear that tensions are running high in Russia, and the cracks in Putin’s facade are starting to show.
And if that wasn’t enough drama, President Joe Biden has been quick to blame Putin for Navalny’s demise and has been pleading for more support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. It’s pretty clear that the White House is not about to cozy up to Putin anytime soon.
