Key Russian ally China on Monday congratulated President Vladimir Putin on his election victory.

With 99 percent of polling stations having submitted results, Putin had secured 87.33 percent of all votes cast, official election data showed Monday, according to state news agency RIA.

"China expresses its congratulations on this," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about the poll at a regular press conference.

"China and Russia are each other's largest neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners in the new era," he added.

It was a record victory for Putin in a presidential election where he faced no genuine competition.

"We firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations will continue to move forward," Lin said, noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Former Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev responded long before the final results were due to be announced, saying on Telegram: "I congratulate Vladimir Putin on his splendid victory in the election".

Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said: "The Serb people welcomed with joy the victory of President Putin for they see in him a great statesman and a friend on whom we can always count and who will watch over our people".

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said: "Our older brother has triumphed, which bodes well for the world".

Meanwhile, Ukraine and western nations condemned Putin’s victory, labelling it as an illegitimate win.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the result as illegitimate. "Everyone in the world understands that this person, like many others throughout history, has become sick with power and will stop at nothing to rule forever," he said.

"There is no evil he would not do to maintain his personal power. And no one in the world would have been safeguarded from this."

Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said the "illegal" elections featured "a lack of choice for voters and no independent OSCE monitoring", adding: "This is not what free and fair elections look like."

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the "elections were neither free nor fair".

"We are continuing to work for a just peace that will bring Russia to put an end to the war of aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law."

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky called the election a "farce and parody". He said: "This was the Russian presidential election that showed how this regime suppresses civil society, independent media, opposition."

#rishi-sunak

Russian allies congratulate Putin after victory at polls

ChatGPT grills Rishi Sunak, Bill Gates in an interview

It’s Madam President to you, for now