(CN) — With the war in Ukraine turning in their country's favor, Russians began voting Friday in what are seen as rigged presidential elections guaranteed to keep Vladimir Putin in power and deepen the animosity between Moscow and the West.
The war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has entered a dire phase for Kyiv as its soldiers are slowly driven back along the front lines by a superior Russian force, raising the specter among European leaders that Russia may win the war.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron went to Berlin to hold emergency talks on the war with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The three leaders vowed to give the support Ukraine needs to win the war.
At the end of February, Macron turned very hawkish and shocked Europe by saying he will not rule out sending French troops to Ukraine. Washington, London and Berlin rejected sending ground troops, but the French president has sparked a debate among NATO allies about what they are willing to do to help Ukraine.
In an interview with French television on Thursday night, Macron did not back down from keeping open the option of sending troops and he called the war in Ukraine “existential” for France and Europe. He said Russia must not be allowed to win.
Russia's presidential elections, which end on Sunday, appeared to be adding even more fuel to the fighting and tensions. On Friday, Putin accused Ukraine of seeking to disrupt the elections by upping attacks on Russian territory. Meanwhile, European Union leaders scoffed at the elections as a farce.
“Would like to congratulate Vladimir Putin on his landslide victory in the elections starting today,” Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, sneered on social media as the voting got underway. “No opposition. No freedom. No choice.”
European media and pundits highlighted, and welcomed, disruptive incidents at Russian polling stations. People were arrested for pouring ink into ballot boxes and there were reports of several arson attacks at polling stations.
This week saw Ukrainian and pro-Kyiv Russian militants launch attacks across the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. Russia's defense ministry said the incursions were repelled. The Kremlin claimed the attacks were meant to sow fear among voters.
Friday was a particularly bloody day in places far from the front lines with Russian missiles striking Odessa and killing at least 20 people and wounding scores of others. It was unclear if the attack was against a military target, but it was one of Russia's deadliest attacks in weeks.
Ukrainian missiles, meanwhile, wounded several people in the Russian city of Belgorod on Friday, Russian media reported. Belgorod, which lies close to the Ukrainian border, has come under frequent shelling from Kyiv's forces.
With billions of dollars in arms for Kyiv stalled in Washington, European leaders are scrambling to come up with more support for Ukraine. On Wednesday, the bloc announced a $5.4 billion arms fund for Ukraine. In February, the EU approved a $54 billion aid package for Ukraine to help its government keep functioning.
“We will begin acquiring more arms for Ukraine immediately,” Scholz said on Friday after the emergency meeting in Berlin.
He also said there are plans to give Ukraine profits made from Russian assets frozen in European banks so that it can buy weapons. Ukraine is running desperately short of ammunition and equipment.
In Berlin, Scholz, Macron and Tusk said Europe will increase military arms production and that a new coalition would be formed to manufacture more long-distance artillery missiles.
But Scholz did not budge from his refusal to send Kyiv its long-range Taurus missiles out of fear that they would be used to strike deep inside Russian territory. Scholz has said German soldiers would need to be deployed to Ukraine to help Ukrainians use the missiles, a step he is not willing to take.
Macron said Europe was unified over Ukraine. “We are willing. We are determined. We have to stick together.”
Courthouse News reporter Cain Burdeau is based in the European Union.
Follow @cainburdeau
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