State Department Backs OSCE Report on Russian Election

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert says the U.S. has no reason to doubt the preliminary findings of an OSCE report on last weekend's election in Russia, which saw Vladimir Putin re-elected to another six-year term with 75 percent of the vote. OSCE monitors report the election took place in an "overly controlled" environment, that pressure was applied to critical voting groups, that opposition leaders were intimidated, and that the stuffing of ballot boxes was evident in numerous locations. close