Putin Accuses Ukraine of Election Interference, Says Kyiv Is Hindering Peace Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere in Russia's parliamentary election and of deliberately obstructing efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Putin made the allegations as Russians began voting in a three-day parliamentary election that the Kremlin has presented as a measure of domestic support for its policies and military campaign in Ukraine.

Speaking to Russia's Military-Industrial Commission, Putin said Ukraine was “trying to interfere with us” but provided no evidence to support the allegation. He also accused the Ukrainian leadership of having “long degenerated into a dictatorship”, pointing to the fact that Ukraine has not held a new presidential election following the expiry of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's mandate. Ukrainian officials have said elections cannot be held while the state of emergency imposed after Russia's February 2022 invasion remains in force.

Putin also argued that Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets showed that Kyiv's calls for negotiations were not genuine. He referred to a recent strike in a Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia, which he said killed the head of a local election commission. Putin said attacks of this kind were intended to prevent peace negotiations from taking place. Ukraine continues to seek negotiations but rejects Russian demands that would require it to surrender territory or accept Moscow's core conditions.

Meanwhile, Russians began voting on Friday in the country's three-day parliamentary election, scheduled from September 18 to 20. It is the first parliamentary election since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Kremlin has presented the vote as an indication of national support for Putin and his military policies, while most prominent anti-war candidates have been excluded from the contest. Kyiv has dismissed the Russian vote as a “pseudo election” and questioned its legitimacy.

The election is taking place amid continued fighting and growing Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory. Putin said Ukraine's drone campaign has reached industrial and energy targets as far as 3,000 km, or about 1,800 miles, inside Russia, affecting fuel supplies and other aspects of daily life. Moscow has also been working to strengthen its air-defence capabilities in response to the attacks.

Putin separately reiterated that Russia's principal defence strategy continues to rely on its nuclear triad, comprising land-based, sea-based and air-launched nuclear weapons. He also called for improvements to Russia's air and anti-missile defence systems as the country faces continued Ukrainian drone strikes.

The latest remarks come as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Putin's accusations link the ongoing military attacks, Ukraine's position on elections and the Kremlin's broader argument that Kyiv is not prepared to pursue a negotiated settlement. Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to say that negotiations are possible but has rejected Russian conditions that would involve territorial concessions.