Thread by @khodorkovsky_en

The European Parliament's refusal to recognize Putin's presidency is a turning point.

Here’s why it matters 🧵👇

MEPs today voted overwhelmingly to pass a resolution denouncing last month’s sham election and rejecting its falsified results. Of the 522 members, 493 voted in favor of the motion

The resolution points to the lack of competition and the atmosphere of fear and repression created by the regime before the election, as well as the fact polling stations were open in occupied Ukrainian lands

It also explicitly refers to Alexey Navalny’s death as a murder, holds the regime – and Putin personally – criminally and politically responsible, and demands the immediate release of all political prisoners held in Russia

Most importantly, the resolution urges EU states to support Russian civil society organizations, and issue humanitarian visas to Russians who face persecution for their opposition to Putin

This is a first public result of the campaign to delegitimize Putin, launched by the Russian Anti-War Committee in October of last year.

change.org/p/putin-is-ill…

This step serves as a signal to Putin that the days when he could unilaterally declare himself the legitimate president and receive universal recognition are over

While he may hate to admit it, Putin needs foreign approval, particularly from the West, because despite all of his best efforts, Russians still place a lot of stock in Western recognition

I want to extend thanks to the MEPs who supported this resolution, as well as my friends and colleagues in the Free Russia Foundation and the Russian Anti-War Committee, whose collective efforts made this possible

Follow @khodorkovsky_en for more on how the West can help us get rid of Putin and end the war in Ukraine.