As of: March 14, 2024, 2:56 p.m
By: Simon Schröder
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Press
Split
Russia accuses the US of manipulating Putin's presidential election.
Concerned about voter turnout?
Moscow - The Russian secret service is making serious accusations against the USA - it is about alleged interference in the upcoming Russian elections.
The Kremlin accused President Joe Biden of election manipulation.
According to information from the Russian foreign secret service SVR, Biden's government has commissioned US non-governmental organizations to reduce voter turnout in Russia, it was said from Moscow on Monday (March 11).
State media published a secret service report: According to this, Washington is using opposition Internet sources to spread calls for Russian citizens to ignore the Russian election.
According to US courts, Russia demonstrably interfered in the 2016 US elections.
The accusation is now that the United States wants to at least weaken Vladimir Putin's legitimacy for another legislative period.
Putin is way ahead in the polls – is the Kremlin still worried about voter turnout?
Despite the allegations and suspected US interference, polls predict that the Russian president will easily win the election.
There is widespread consensus in the West that the Russian elections are massively influenced by state propaganda and suppression of the opposition.
The Kremlin now seems to want to put the possible low voter turnout into perspective and blame it on interference by the US secret services.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, gives his State of the Union speech in Moscow - and also talks about the economy.
© Alexander Zemlianichenko/dpa
In a March 4 report, the U.S. Institute for the Study of War wrote: “The Kremlin continues to seek high voter turnout in the upcoming presidential election to provide a semblance of legitimacy and broad support for Russian President Vladimir Putin "To awaken the domestic electorate." The Kremlin sees the targeted voter turnout of 70 to 80 percent in danger, the institute speculated.
Russia election reason for US “manipulation”?
Russian intelligence thinks they know the reason
The allegations from Moscow could now indirectly support this thesis.
In order to cast doubt on the Russian elections from a Western perspective, Washington is trying to suppress voter turnout, it was said.
“The American plan is simple.
The assumption from Washington is that low voter turnout would give the West the opportunity to challenge the election results,” Russian intelligence said.
Russian partisans also called on Tuesday to ignore the election in Russia.
Elections in Russia will be held March 15-17.
Putin will - most likely - be able to extend his term as president for another six years: Alexei Navalny, Putin's most famous critic, died in February, and a promising opposition candidate is not on the ballot.
There are voices in the West calling for Putin to be declared an illegitimate president after the coming elections.
(SiSchr)