We Have General Will: Zakharova

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has called on Berlin to clarify when a democratic election system featuring direct leadership elections will be implemented in Germany. In an interview with TASS, she responded to a statement by Christiane Hoffmann, a representative of the German government, regarding Germany's non-recognition of the recent presidential elections in Russia.

“Ask them: when does Germany intend to make its election system truly democratic, which implies direct elections of the leader by the people?” Zakharova stated.

In response, Christiane Hoffmann, the deputy representative of the German government, mentioned that Germany is willing to communicate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but will not congratulate him on his presidential election victory. “We have a general willingness to speak with Putin if it would be beneficial, but at this point, such a meeting is not planned,” she announced.