Putin’s hollow victory

There is a protocol among the leaders of democratic countries that they congratulate one another on their election to office. But by what possible measure can Vladimir Putin’s return to office for another six years be described as democratic? He was effectively unchallenged because, of two possible credible opponents, one was murdered and the other forbidden from participating. Even the higher turnout in the elections was achieved because ballot boxes in some areas were allegedly stuffed.

Why should Mr Putin be congratulated on winning an election he could never lose? Yet Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and President Macron of France have done so, albeit with heavy caveats about Russia’s behaviour. Chancellor Merkel clearly has a national interest in keeping on reasonable terms with Moscow, given her country’s reliance on Russian gas. But there is also a collective Western interest in not letting Mr Putin divide Nato and Europe in the way he has been so adept at doing.

President Macron is due to visit Moscow for an official visit in May which he is unlikely to cancel, despite the freeze in Uk-russian relations following the Salisbury poison outrage. Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron believe in keeping a dialogue with the Kremlin open to avoid isolating Mr Putin.

But they need to beware of giving the Russian leader the opportunity to drive a wedge between the democracies he seeks to undermine. Nato Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that the allies stood in solidarity against Russian troublemaking. In that case, any congratulations to the perpetrator should be kept to a minimum.