WASHINGTON – The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation formally announced on Friday that the incumbent president Vladimir Putin won the election, beating his competitors by earning 76.69 percent of the total vote.
President Donald Trump congratulated Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for sweeping the 2018 Russian presidential election after the poll statistics closed on Sunday showing that Putin has won the majority vote. The call soon caused public fury, adding to the anger over the accusation that Russia intervened in the 2016 American presidential election.
Trump also received criticism from his own party. Republican Senator John McCain slashed him in a statement on Tuesday, describing the call between Trump and Putin as an American President calling a dictator.
Trump later defended his call, saying that his goal was to plan for future discussions with Putin about other areas of cooperation. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders also said she did not agree with McCain’s statement, and suggested that the United States need more conversations with Russia.