Russian President Vladimir Putin clinched a fifth term in office on Monday, prevailing in an election devoid of substantial opposition. Putin garnered 87% of the vote, as reported by Russia’s election commission.
In the wake of his victory, he hailed the outcome as a testament to the populace’s “trust” in his leadership, triumphing over nominal opposition contenders.
“Of course, we have lots of tasks ahead. But I want to make it clear for everyone: When we were consolidated, no one has ever managed to frighten us, to suppress our will and our self-conscience. They failed in the past and they will fail in the future,” Putin said after polls closed.
Putin’s regime has effectively silenced opposition amid the Ukraine invasion. Alexei Navalny, viewed as Putin’s top rival, died in prison last month.
At 71, Putin has steered Russia for nearly 25 years, now clinching another 6-year term.
The victory was largely scorned in the West, with minimal acknowledgment. President Biden hasn’t commented on the election yet. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron rebuffed Putin in a statement on X.
“This is not what free and fair elections look like,” he wrote.
On the final day of the election, protesters rallied outside polling stations and Russian embassies worldwide. Allies of Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, organized the gatherings. Yulia disclosed that she wrote her late husband’s name on her ballot, submitted through the Russian embassy in Berlin.
Putin addressed Navalny’s death for the first time on Monday, revealing he had backed a plan for his release in a prisoner exchange set to occur shortly after his passing.
“It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It’s life,” he said.
In the aftermath of his victory, Putin shifted focus to U.S. election matters. He criticized the multiple criminal cases against former President Trump, asserting that “the whole world is laughing” at the U.S.
