Russia: The majority of European Union countries and the United States have said that they will not send envoys to Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as Russian president.
Vladimir Putin, 71, won a fifth term in office in an election held in March that some criticized for lacking democratic legitimacy.
Weeks after the unexpected death of his most outspoken foe, Alexey Navalny, in an Arctic prison, he received 87.28 percent of the vote.
“We will not have a representative at his inauguration. We certainly did not consider that election free and fair but he is the president of Russia and he is going to continue in that capacity,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
In line with the stance of the majority of EU member states, the European Union’s ambassador to Russia would not attend the inauguration, as per the report. The United Kingdom and Canada also declared that they would not be sending any representatives to the ceremony.
The inauguration is not being attended by the three Baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), which have withdrawn their ambassadors from Moscow.
It is anticipated that the Czech Republic will also boycott the event, while Germany’s Foreign Office, which had earlier summoned its ambassador due to suspected Russian hacking, said that its envoy would not be there.
The head of every foreign diplomatic mission in Moscow, including those from “unfriendly states,” has been invited to the inauguration, which is scheduled to begin at noon (09:00 GMT) and will be televised live on Russian television, according to a Putin aide.
Putin is scheduled to arrive at the Grand Kremlin Palace in a luxurious procession. According to state-run RT, his armoured Aurus limousine has been modified with better sound insulation and all-around cameras. After passing through the palace hallways, the former KGB spy will enter the elaborate Saint Andrew Hall, where he will take the presidential oath and give a brief speech. The Russian Orthodox Church patriarch will also bestow a blessing upon him.
The event is being held one day after Russia, accusing Western nations of “provocative” actions over Ukraine, revealed plans for a tactical nuclear weapons rehearsal. Over two years ago, Putin began his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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