Russia's Medvedev brushes off US criticism on alleged vote fraud

Dec 17, 2011, 13:50 GMT

Moscow - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday he refuses to hear criticism from the United States about alleged fraud in the December 4 parliamentary elections.

'I was forced to tell (US) President Barack Obama on the phone that the assessment of our elections by the US is of no significance to us,' Medvedev told the Interfax news agency.

He said Russia was open to constructive criticism, but that 'commentary like that from the Cold War' was not acceptable.

The election, in which the United Russia party of Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin won just under 50 per cent of the vote, have prompted mass protests by people who say that the party actually performed significantly worse and only managed to retain its majority with blatant ballot stuffing.

Putin has blamed the US for giving the signal to start the protests, many of which have focused on him and his bid to run for president in 2012 elections. Putin previously served as president between 2000 and 2008.

Medvedev said Russia remained committed to a resumption of diplomatic relations with the US, but said it would continue to follow its own national interests.

He noted that the two countries still disagreed on NATO plans to base missile defence systems in Europe. Russia feels those systems would degrade the potential of its own missile systems.

'If you don't listen to us, then we'll answer,' he said.

Russia has announced plans to bulk up armaments in its Kaliningrad exclave as a response to the planned NATO defence system.

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