Expatriate Russians will be able to vote in March’s presidential election even if they live in “unfriendly” countries that have imposed sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
Maria Zakharova said there would be polling stations in all countries where Russia has diplomatic missions.
President Vladimir Putin is expected by supporters and opponents alike to stroll to victory in the March 15-17 poll and extend his rule by six more years. One anti-war candidate, Boris Nadezhdin, is campaigning against him but the Kremlin has said it does not consider him a serious rival.
Zakharova said Russia would invite foreign election observers from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of countries that were part of the Soviet Union, and from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes China, India, Pakistan and Iran.
She said it would be “strange” if Russia were to invite “russophobe” election monitors from the Council of Europe.
(Reuters)