>Russia or Belarus could have been considered democracies
People voting a way you don't like is different from fraudulent votes. Comparing the two is disingenuous.
>is that on them by that logic?
Yes.
People voting a way you don't like is different from fraudulent votes. Comparing the two is disingenuous.
>is that on them by that logic?
Yes.
No, Putin would have won in elections even if you removed fraudulent votes (there is a fraction, but it is not at all decisive). He wins not because of it.
In those kind of countries elections are won way before the voting takes place. So the voting is just an act of the regime's legitimation and is irrelevant regarding the outcome.