Baltic States Trying to Sabotage Overseas Voting in State Duma Elections — Russian MFA
/ Go to the mediabankRussian national flags with attached black ribbons are seen on the headquarters of State Duma, the lower house of parliament
/ Go to the mediabank
The Baltic states are trying to pressure Russians to disrupt voting on State Duma election day, Maxim Raider, ambassador-at-large and deputy chairman of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s election commission, tells Sputnik. Despite their international human rights obligations and repeated declarations of commitment to democracy, some Western countries are nevertheless seeking to pressure Russians living there and prevent them from freely expressing their will, he underscores.»The Baltic states are particularly zealous in this,» Raider adds. According to the Ambassador-at-Large at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the greatest concerns are posed by countries where “clinical Russophobia has afflicted a large part of the ruling elites.”These include not only Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but also Poland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, in his opinion.Against this backdrop, Raider did not rule out provocations on voting day at overseas polling stations.Russian Foreign Ministry is preparing measures to protect the life and health of voters at overseas polling stations for the elections to the State Duma, Raider said.
"In the current geopolitical realities, ensuring a high level of security for electoral commission staff and Russian citizens coming to polling stations has become an absolute priority for us. In this regard, we are working on a set of measures to safeguard the life and health of voters and members of election commissions," he said.
Other Countries’ Response
Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed receipt of a note from the Russian Foreign Ministry requesting a ban on demonstrations outside the Russian Embassy in Helsinki on the day of the State Duma elections, according to the Finnish media Yle.
"Russia has sent a note to Finland requesting that demonstrations near the Russian Embassy in Helsinki be prohibited on State Duma election day. Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed this information to Yle," the media reported.
Finnish Foreign Ministry has not yet indicated how it intends to respond to the note, the report added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has scheduled elections to the ninth State Duma for September 20, 2026. Voting will take place over three days, from September 18 to 20. The head of state called the upcoming State Duma elections the most important domestic political event in the country.
WorldBaltic States ‘Playing With Fire’ by Taking Part in Hostile Actions Toward Russia — MFA7 July, 05:13 GMT
