Manipulation The West and PACE are “interfering” in the Russian presidential elections
Propagandists spreading pro-Russian rhetoric in the media claim that the United States and “its European satellites” are allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of Russia and the 2024 presidential elections. This is how they reacted to the adoption on October 13 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of a resolution declaring Volodymyr Putin illegitimate after the expiration of his current presidential term. The statement about “interference in the internal affairs of Russia” is unreliable.
Specialists from the StopFake project drew attention to this. They found out that this is manipulation, since the resolution is advisory in nature for implementation and cannot directly influence the presidential elections in Russia. The Assembly only recommended that Council of Europe member states recognize Putin as illegitimate after the end of his current presidential term and cut off all contacts with him except for humanitarian needs and peace. The document notes that Russia ignores the norms of international law and all recommendations of the Venice Commission (a body on constitutional law under the Council of Europe), in particular, changes to the 2021 Constitution. Under these changes, Putin has reset his previous presidential terms and could rule the country until 2036.
StopFake notes that Russians repeatedly reproach other countries for “failure to implement” the recommendations of the Venice Commission. For example, as in the situation with the Law of Ukraine “On Education” of 2017. At that time, Russia actively promoted the narrative of “oppression of Russian speakers”.
By spreading such fakes, propagandists want to create the image of a “victim” and justify the crimes of Russians. They say that Russia started the war to fight against the hypocrisy of Western states, because they want to destroy Russia. Russia constantly victimizes itself within the walls of international institutions. For example, Detector Media has already written about how Russian diplomats regularly spread propaganda in the OSCE.