RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin has said that the process which led to Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister was “far from democratic”. 

Putin, viewed as a pariah in Westminster and across much of Europe following his invasion of Ukraine, said the UK public had not been given a say over the change in Downing Street. 

Truss succeeded Johnson as Prime Minister after beating rival Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership contest. 

She won the lengthy contest with 81,326 votes from members, while former chancellor Rishi Sunak came in second place with 60,399 in what was a closer contest that many expected. 

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Speaking in Vladivostok, Putin said: “In the UK, the procedure for electing the head of state is far from democratic. 

“It takes place within the framework of the party that won the previous parliamentary election. 

“The UK people do not participate in the change of government in this case.”

Putin’s most recent election, which took place in 2018, saw him secure more than 75% of the vote, but his most prominent opponents were prevented from standing. 

The Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe said the election “lacked genuine competition” and “took place in an overly-controlled legal and political environment marked by continued pressure on critical voices”. 

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Putin used his appearance at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok to suggest Russia had not “lost anything” as a result of the invasion of Ukraine, in spite of Western sanctions. 

He said: “Russia has resisted economic, financial and technological aggression of the West. 

“I’m sure that we haven’t lost anything and we won’t lose anything. 

“The most important gain is the strengthening of our sovereignty, it’s an inevitable result of what’s going on.”