Copyright: BBC
In Latvian capital, Riga, so many Russian nationals
show up to the embassy to vote that by noon the queue stretches around the corner of the building.
Many of those waiting their turn came here either shortly
after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine or not long before it. Next to them are older people — Latvian residents with
Russian passports, some have been living here since the USSR. Although they are reluctant to
speak to the media, many of them support
Putin.
“Who am I voting for? We haven’t decided yet, the queue is long, we
still have time to think”, says playfully one of the older ladies.
She says she doesn’t understand any questions about the war, saying
“they just need to sit down and make a deal”.
“Election is election, and war is
war”, one older man says.
A small protest assembles in front of the embassy. The participants are holding
posters “Putin=death” and “Fake elections”.
Tatiana is holding a poster “Putin
is a killer” in one hand and her Russian passport in the other. She is outraged by the war and says that since its beginning she has
not once travelled to Russia: “I cannot breathe that air.”
A man named Alexei with huge photograph of Navalny behind prison bars is facing the queue. He says he was born in Latvia and used to have a Russian passport but decided to change his documents to become a Latvian
national.
He says he came to spite those voting for Putin. “I want to remind
them what this regime has done to Ukrainian people, to Russian people and to
Alexei Navalny. I hope they will make the right choice”.
Copyright: BBC
Source: bbc.co.uk
