Written question asked by John Howell (Conservative) on Monday, 16 October 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 18 October 2023. It was answered by Leo Docherty (Conservative) on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Russia: Politics and Government

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on the report entitled, Examining the legitimacy and legality of the ad hominem term-limit waiver for the incumbent President of the Russian Federation, which was held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2023.

Answer: The UK values the work of the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe and our UK delegation in debating these important issues. Free and fair elections are the key to a functioning democracy, allowing citizens to choose how they are governed and by whom - democratic and open societies cannot flourish without them. The internal oppression carried out by the Russian Government fuels external aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. We remain concerned about whether the 2018 Russian presidential election and the 2020 constitutional referendum were free and fair. The UK remains committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine.

Secondary information