Putin Meets Parliamentary Party Leaders After Duma Elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin met leaders and representatives of the country's parliamentary parties in Moscow on Monday, following elections that further consolidated the Kremlin's political dominance.

The meeting was attended by United Russia chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky, Fair Russia first deputy chairman Alexander Babakov and New People deputy chairman Vladislav Davankov.

Putin congratulated the party leaders and praised the conduct of the vote, describing the campaign as dignified, substantive and constructive, and said it demonstrated a high level of maturity in the country's political culture. He urged the parties to justify the trust placed in them through collaborative and team-based work in local, regional and federal bodies.

The president said attempts to disrupt the election campaign and interfere in Russia's internal affairs had failed. He claimed such attempts, including those involving terrorist methods and foreign intelligence services, had been planned and carried out, and said the people had defended the sovereign right to determine their own future.

Putin also paid tribute to election workers in frontline regions, saying they had shown courage, bravery and often heroism under difficult, almost combat-like conditions in the border regions of Donbas and Novorossiya. He said fallen election workers would be nominated for state awards, some posthumously, and that the government must do everything possible to assist the families of the deceased.

He further said the results reflected public support for Russia's military, noting that all parliamentary parties had included veterans of the special military operation among their candidates.

Full results released on Friday showed United Russia winning more than three-fourths of the State Duma's seats, a record high, according to the Central Election Commission.