Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said in St. Petersburg that Moscow disregards Western countries’ views on elections in Russia.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Matviyenko said Moscow understood the position of Western countries but did not attach importance to it. She said it was important for Russian citizens to be aware of their responsibility in the electoral process.

Matviyenko described elections as the most democratic form of popular sovereignty. She said every citizen could express their civic position by exercising their constitutional right.
Voting in Russia will conclude on September 20
Voting in elections for deputies of the ninth State Duma, along with other ballots held on the same dates, began on Friday, September 19. The three-day voting period will end on September 20.
On Russia’s only voting day in 2026, a total of 20,700 deputy seats and elected positions are expected to be determined. Russian President Vladimir Putin had described the State Duma elections as the country’s most important domestic political event.