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The French foreign ministry has refused to recognise the results of the Russian election in Crimea

Paris officials said that they remained attached to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Vladimir Putin signed a controversial bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia in March 2014, ignoring Western leaders who said that the Black Sea peninsula was a part of Ukraine. The French foreign ministry said in a statement: “France does not recognise the organisation of the Russian presidential election in Crimea today. “Changing borders by force is contrary to international law, including commitments undertaken by the Russian Federation.”

GETTY Putin delivered a speech to supporters following his electoral victory on Sunday


A spokesman added France remained “firmly attached to the full restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognised borders”. Russia has been under intense international scrutiny since the chemical attack earlier this month on former spy Sergei Skripal, a Russian exile living in the UK. Diplomatic relations between London and Moscow were frozen last week after it was found that Mr Skripal and his daughter had been poisoned with a Soviet-made nerve agent in what British Prime Minister Theresa May described as a “brazen attempt” by the Kremlin – namely Mr Putin – to murder “innocent civilians” on British soil. But, despite the dark cloud of scandal hanging over his head and widespread reports of ballot-box stuffing and forced voting, Mr Putin was re-elected for a fourth term in power on Sunday with 74 percent of the vote.


Russia election in pictures: Putin wins six more years in power AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Mikhail Metzel/TASS Sergei Fadeichev/TASS Sergei Fadeichev/TASS Getty Images Alexei Nikolsky/TASS Getty Images Sergei Bobylev/TASS Getty Images EPA