The US May Not Recognize Putin's Legitimacy after 2024

The United States “opposes constitutional amendments that favor incumbent officials or extend their term of office”, the draft resolution submitted to the US Congress notes. Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican Joe Wilson have submitted to the House of Representatives of the US Congress a draft resolution on the non-recognition of Vladimir Putin as president of Russia after 2024. The text of the resolution on Thursday, November 18, was published by the press service of Steve Cohen. Congressmen explain in detail why “any attempt by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to remain in office after May 7, 2024 should guarantee non-recognition by the United States”. They remind that Russia, as a member of the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, is bound by international obligations regarding human rights and the rule of law, and paragraph 3 of Article 81 of the Russian Constitution, adopted on December 25, 1993, clearly states that “the same person cannot hold the office of President of the Russian Federation for more than two consecutive terms”. Congressmen’s arguments against recognizing Putin’s powers The document states that the vote on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allowed Putin to “reset” his presidential terms and reapply for office after May 7, 2024, when his powers expire, cannot be considered legitimate due to numerous violations. The congressmen recalled “voting on park benches, in the trunks of cars and shopping carts”, reports of mass fraud, depriving the opposition of the opportunity to publicly oppose the “reset”, and the non-admission of international observers from the OSCE and the Council of Europe. As noted in the text of the resolution, “according to official data published by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation were supported by 78 percent of those who took part in the plebiscite”. At the same time, according to “public opinion polls conducted by the Levada Center on the eve of the vote”, 47 percent of respondents were against resetting Putin’s presidential terms. “A fictitious vote disguised as a referendum has bolstered all the remnants of Putin’s legitimacy”, congressmen cite the assessment of the vote on amendments to the constitution made by Senator James Risch, who headed the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2020. Russia threatens to break off relations with the United States The proposed resolution, which, in particular, notes that the United States “opposes constitutional amendments that favor incumbent officials or extend their term of office, especially in cases where there are no necessary conditions for free and fair democratic processes”, has already received support from both parties, so the chances of its adoption are considered very high. At the same time, the “RIA Novosti” news agency points out, the resolution, if adopted, will have a recommendatory character. Moscow reacted sharply to the initiative of American congressmen. Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, called the proposed project “cynical and devoid of any common sense”. “If the resolution is adopted, it will lead to a rupture of relations between Russia and the United States”, he said. DW