NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed on Thursday that the upcoming elections in the Russian Federation "will not be free and fair," during his annual report speech for 2023 from Brussels.
"Elections in Russia will not be free and fair. Opposition politicians are in jail; some are killed and many are exiled. Others who have tried to register as candidates have been denied that right. So we can say, actually, before the elections that they will not be free and fair because to have free and fair elections, you need fair competition, different lists, open discussions, and a free and independent press," Stoltenberg noted.
He further emphasized that any attempt to organize Russian elections within the occupied regions of Ukraine would be "completely illegal."
