All democratic procedures are slated to proceed as planned, Vladimir Putin has said Despite the ongoing Ukraine conflict, all upcoming elections in Russia, including the presidential vote next year, will be held according to normal procedures, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

The European Solidarity party has decried the “authoritarianism” spreading within the country Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko’s party has appealed to the EU leadership, calling for the “restoration of freedom of speech” and political plurality in the country, while condemning Kiev’s “authoritarianism.”

Consumers in the Eurozone continued to cut spending on food, drinks, and tobacco last month amid a spike in prices, EU statistics office Eurostat reported on Wednesday. Data shows that costs rose by 8.9% last month on an annual basis, compared with 7.5% growth in May.