This looks like theater, not an election — banning the only anti-war party, holding votes in occupied Ukrainian territories, and using state resources and monitored online voting all point to a tightly controlled show designed to manufacture consent. We owe solidarity to the Russians risking everything to oppose the war and to young people who rallied behind Yabloko; their voices should be protected and amplified, not erased. The international community must refuse to legitimize these sham polls, expand support for independent media and civil society, and offer safe haven to those fleeing repression or conscription. Democracy and peace aren’t negotiable — people deserve the right to choose their future free from intimidation and war. ✊
