U.S. Secretary of State Shares His Thoughts Regarding Putin’s Landslide Victory

In his statement, Blinken publicly criticizes Putin’s “Undemocratic Election.”
Mentions ‘Navalny,’ who died in prison before the election
Kim Jong Un keeps Blinken in check, suggesting Russia-North Korea cooperation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has criticized Vladimir Putin’s successful fifth term as president of Russia. He publicly criticized the reason for Putin’s success in this election, saying it could only be described as an “undemocratic election.”

In his statement, Blinken said, “This Russian presidential election strongly suppressed the independent voice of democracy,” adding, “The election took place in an environment where virtually all genuine opposition figures were sanctioned like imprisonment, died, or were exiled.”

He also claimed that “The Putin Administration systematically marginalized organizations demanding democratic procedures and the rule of law, including election monitoring.”

He then mentioned Navalny, who died in prison a few weeks before the election, to highlight the cruelty of Putin’s regime. Blinken expressed his condolences, saying, “Navalny, a Russian politician who made continuous efforts for true democracy, was harassed by Russian authorities for years and eventually died in prison a few weeks before the election under cruel treatment.”

Blinken promised, “Putin is depriving Russian citizens of opportunities, including political participation and access to detailed information. Regardless of the election results, which have already been decided, the United States will pursue a brighter future for Russia and continue to stand with those who share such aspirations”.

The international community was divided into two reactions as Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide victory in the Russian presidential election on the 17th (local time) and succeeded in his fifth term.

Experts explain that the emergence of new Cold War fronts, drawn by the ongoing war in Ukraine, is becoming more visible in this presidential election.

Western powers opposing Russia, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the European Union (EU), criticized the fact that “transparent ballot boxes” could not guarantee secret voting were used in the election.

They then confirmed that the presidential election was held in four occupied areas within Ukraine and strongly criticized it as an “illegal election” by taking issue with it.

On the other hand, countries known to be friendly with Russia, such as China, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, congratulated him on his election and welcomed Putin’s victory in the messages.

It is reported that there are also divided reactions to the results of the Russian presidential election in Ukraine.

On the 18th (local time), pro-Russian residents in the Donbas region (the Donetsk and Luhansk regions) in eastern Ukraine held a radical parade. The act was in protest against attempts by Ukraine and the United States to interfere with the Russian presidential election.

However, it was so extreme and cruel that it made people squint. They continued bizarre behavior by staging a “burning ceremony” with effigies of President Zelensky and President Biden.

Meanwhile, one of the countries that will congratulate Putin on his fifth term is North Korea. Putin previously mentioned that North Korea has its own “nuclear umbrella,” causing a stir in the international community.

A nuclear umbrella refers to the nuclear capabilities that allow a country to maintain national security through nuclear weapons in the event of a national threat. Putin intentionally mentioned North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, showing that Russia and North Korea could cooperate.

In an interview before the Russian election, Putin suggested he was ready to use nuclear weapons, saying, “We could use nuclear weapons in war if necessary, but there has been no such event yet.” As Putin mentioned North Korea’s nuclear umbrella after this comment, experts interpreted Putin’s intentions.

It seems that Putin wants to make North Korea a de facto “nuclear power.” Currently, only five countries in the world, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France, possess nuclear weapons according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India, Israel, and Pakistan are de facto nuclear-weapon states, but they are not officially nuclear powers.

If North Korea rises to the position of a de facto nuclear power, Russia is expected to continue nuclear cooperation with North Korea. Putin has succeeded in his fifth term, and Kim Jong Un is expected to establish a stronger dictatorship by accelerating the fourth-generation succession with his daughter Kim Ju Ae.

In anticipation of intense international criticism, it appears to be a strategy to protect his security by cooperating in possessing weapons like nuclear weapons.

In response to the news of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un provoked by launching a ballistic missile toward the East Sea. Blinken visited Korea on the 18th to attend the “3rd Summit for Democracy” held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

In response to the South Korean joint military drill and the news of the U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to South Korea, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un showed provocative and demonstrative behavior, such as ballistic missile launches and military training guidance. Such actions by North Korean Leader Kim are interpreted as implying the determination not to let the United States or other countries take away the Korean Peninsula’s sovereignty.

Kim Jong Un is showing moves to accelerate the fourth-generation succession by accompanying his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, in military training guidance.

The polarization of the international community is deepening due to the confrontation between dictatorships such as Russia and North Korea and nations that uphold democracy and freedom.