French Foreign Ministry: Russian Presidential Elections Held in Violation of International Standards

French authorities will acknowledge the results of the Russian presidential elections, which concluded on Sunday, but believe they were conducted in violation of international standards. This was stated by the Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Pravda.ru.

“France acknowledges the expected outcomes of the presidential elections, which will result in Vladimir Putin remaining President of the Russian Federation for a fifth term,” the Foreign Ministry's statement reads.

The agency insists that the electoral process was accompanied by “violations” against representatives of the opposition and civil society, citing the alleged ban on independent media in Russia.

The Ministry assesses that the pre-election campaign in the Russian Federation did not meet international standards for equal access to the media for candidates, which is why “conditions for free, diverse, and democratic elections were not maintained.”

Earlier, Vladimir Putin stated to journalists that a large number of foreign independent observers were monitoring the voting process. For the first time, the presidential elections in Russia took place over three days: March 15, 16, and 17.