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# Putin Accuses Ukraine of Election Interference and Blocking Peace Talks
- URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/putin-accuses-ukraine-of-election-interference-and-blocking-peace-talks/
- Published: 2026-09-19T05:56:44.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T05:56:44.000Z
- Description: Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of interfering in Russia’s parliamentary election and deliberately obstructing peace talks. Kyiv rejects the vote, particularly in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, as illegal, while US-backed negotiations remain stalled over territory and security guarantees.
- Author: TGV Desk
- Tags: Russian Federation, europe, Ukraine, India, that is Bharat, Live Wire, has-audio, The Day So Far

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to interfere in Russia’s parliamentary election and deliberately obstructing efforts to negotiate an end to the war, as voting began across Russia and in Russian controlled area in Donbas.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Military-Industrial Commission on September 18, Putin said Ukrainian leaders publicly talked about peace while carrying out attacks that, in his view, made negotiations impossible. He argued that Kyiv’s actions showed it had no real interest in restarting talks. Putin did not provide evidence of a coordinated Ukrainian campaign specifically designed to manipulate the election result.

His comments came as Russia began a three-day parliamentary election running from September 18 to 20, the first State Duma vote since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022\. More than 111 million people are eligible to vote, and the ruling United Russia party is widely expected to retain control of the 450-seat lower house of parliament.

Putin pointed to Ukrainian attacks during the voting period, including the reported killing of a local election official in Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia, as evidence of what he called interference in the electoral process. Ukrainian drone attacks have also disrupted activity in several Russian regions in recent weeks, including [strikes against energy infrastructure](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/ukraines-drones-reach-russias-arctic-gas-heartland-for-the-first-time/) and other targets. Kyiv says such attacks are aimed at weakening Russia’s ability to sustain its invasion rather than influencing Russian domestic politics.

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Putin also repeated his criticism of Ukraine for not holding a presidential election after Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s original term expired in 2024, describing the Ukrainian political system as a “dictatorship.” Ukraine says elections cannot legally be held while martial law remains in force during Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian law prohibits national elections under martial law, and Zelenskyy has remained president while the war continues.

The accusation over peace talks comes as [US-backed diplomatic efforts ](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/trump-dispatches-kushner-witkoff-to-moscow-and-kyiv-for-weekend-peace-talks/)remain stalled. Washington has spent months attempting to revive negotiations, but Russia and Ukraine remain far apart over territory, security guarantees and the terms of any ceasefire. Recent US mediation efforts have produced little visible progress, with both Moscow and Kyiv accusing the other of preventing meaningful negotiations.

Putin’s comments therefore combine two increasingly connected Kremlin narratives: that Ukraine is trying to undermine Russia internally while also preventing a negotiated settlement abroad.

Kyiv presents the situation very differently. Ukrainian officials argue that Moscow is using elections in occupied territory to legitimise territorial seizures and say peace negotiations cannot succeed while Russia continues attacks and demands recognition of its control over Ukrainian land.

The competing claims come as the war approaches five years with no agreed political settlement in sight. For now, Russia’s parliamentary election is taking place alongside continued drone and missile attacks, stalled diplomacy and an increasingly bitter dispute over which side bears responsibility for preventing the war from ending.