Putin’s inauguration as president for a fifth term divides the EU

Germany and most European Union countries appeared set to boycott a Kremlin ceremony to inaugurate Vladimir Putin for a new six-year term on Tuesday, although France and several other states are expected to send representatives despite Kiev’s call for not to do so, reports Reuters.

A senior Kremlin official said he had invited the heads of all foreign diplomatic missions in Moscow to attend Putin’s investiture, the Interfax news agency reported.

A European diplomat told Reuters that 20 EU member states would boycott the event, but that another seven were expected to send a representative.

France will be represented at the investiture of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his next six-year term by its ambassador to the country on Tuesday, a French diplomatic source told Reuters on Monday.

The Paris decision suggests a potential split in the Western camp, with several countries, including the Baltic states, vehemently opposed to giving Putin any form of legitimacy and potentially undermining Ukraine in its war with Russia after Moscow launched an invasion more than two years ago.

Putin won a fifth term in March with a post-Soviet record, cementing his power in a vote that came just weeks after his most prominent opponent, Alexei Navalny, died in prison . Western governments condemned the re-election as undemocratic.

“France will be represented by its ambassador in Russia,” the French diplomatic source said.

The source said Paris had previously condemned the repressive context in which the elections took place, depriving voters of a real choice, as well as the holding of elections in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, which France considers a violation of international law and the Charter United Nations.

Franco-Russian relations have deteriorated in recent months as Paris has increased its support for Ukraine. Just last week, President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine.

Germany has said it will not send a representative to Putin’s inauguration. And the Baltic states, which no longer have emissaries in Moscow, categorically ruled out participating in the event.

Two European diplomats said they did not expect the United States to send a representative to the investiture, although Washington has not made a public announcement.

“We believe that the isolation of Russia, and especially of its criminal leader, must be continued,” said Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis.

“Participating in Putin’s investiture is not acceptable for Lithuania. Our priority remains support for Ukraine and its people fighting Russian aggression.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has asked Kiev’s international allies not to recognize Vladimir Putin as the legitimate president of Russia, Reuters reports.

“Ukraine sees no legal basis to recognize him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said in a statement released ahead of Putin’s inauguration on Tuesday.