Avigdor Lieberman told journalists Monday that the Dec. 4 parliamentary elections “were not perfect but generally reflect” public opinion in Russia.

During a visit to Russia last week, Lieberman surprised many listeners by publicly calling the elections fair.

The United States and the European Union have expressed serious concerns about the voting. Russian opposition figures and some observers have alleged widespread fraud.

Lieberman is a native Russian speaker born in Moldova.

His statements sometimes differ from official Israeli government policy. Press reports in Israel last week suggested Israeli diplomats were angry about the comment.