European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described Russia’s parliamentary elections as a “veneer” of democracy and proposed sanctions against individuals who helped organise the vote in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.

Kallas made the remarks on Monday in a post on X, alleging that the elections lacked genuine political competition and international oversight.

“The so-called Duma elections marked another major setback for Russian democracy. Their outcome was never in doubt,” Kallas wrote.

She accused the Kremlin of suppressing dissent and said the only registered party that opposed Russia’s war in Ukraine was barred from contesting.

“The Kremlin silenced dissent, barred the only registered party that opposed its war in Ukraine, and shut out international election monitors. The veneer of democracy is all that remains in Russia,” she said.

Kallas added that she had proposed measures against those who facilitated what she described as “sham elections” in occupied Ukrainian territories.

The European Union has previously imposed sanctions on thousands of Russian officials and entities over the war in Ukraine, including President Vladimir Putin.