Putin Ties Upcoming Duma Vote to Support for Ukraine War
Putin framed the State Duma election as a measure of national backing for the war in Ukraine and called on Russians to vote.
President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday linked the upcoming parliamentary election to Russia's war in Ukraine, describing the vote as a gauge of public support for the conflict and urging citizens to take part.
Russians will vote over three days beginning Friday to elect the 450-seat State Duma, the lower house of parliament, which has consistently endorsed Kremlin initiatives. This is the first parliamentary election since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022.
The ballot comes amid signs of growing public anxiety over the war's impact, a strained economy, and the exclusion of most anti-war candidates. The political system remains tightly controlled, and the ruling United Russia party, backed by Putin, is widely expected to keep its dominant position.
In a televised address to the nation, Putin referred to the war and to Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine, saying that voting would help secure victory and show national resolve against outside pressure.
"Your choice and your will will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our soldiers, that we are a united people bound together by shared values, historical memory, and love for our homeland, and that no one will succeed in dividing or intimidating us, or in undermining our statehood and our socio-political system," he said.
Putin added that the vote would serve as a collective response to those seeking to weaken Russia, hinder its development, and strip it of sovereignty and the right to determine its own future.