In Russia’s recent election, President Vladimir Putin secured a historic victory, garnering the highest post-Soviet era vote share.
Putin’s landslide win, with 87.8% of the vote according to exit polls, solidifies his already firm control over the country.
Putin’s triumph was underscored by his assertion that the outcome sends a clear message to the West, affirming Russia’s resolve to stand up against perceived threats and assert its influence, whether through military action or diplomatic channels.
At 71 years old, Putin is poised to extend his tenure with a new six-year term, surpassing Josef Stalin to become Russia’s longest-serving leader in over two centuries, if he completes the term.
However, international observers, including those from the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have criticised the election, citing concerns over the imprisonment of political opponents and restrictions on free speech.
Despite the overwhelming victory for Putin, other candidates, such as Communist nominee Nikolai Kharitonov, newcomer Vladislav Davankov, and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky, trailed far behind in the polls. These partia
l results confirm Putin’s continued dominance in Russian politics.
“We have many tasks ahead. But when we are consolidated—no matter who wants to intimidate us or suppress us—nobody has ever succeeded in history; they have not succeeded now, and they will not succeed ever in the future,” said Putin.
Supporters chanted “Putin, Putin, Putin” when he appeared on stage and “Russia, Russia, Russia” after he had delivered his acceptance speech.
Following the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison in the Arctic last month, thousands of his supporters took to the streets, both within Russia and abroad, to protest against President Vladimir Putin at polling stations. Putin, however, maintained that the election process in Russia was democratic and dismissed the impact of the protests inspired by Navalny on the election’s outcome.
In his first public remarks on Navalny’s death, Putin expressed condolences, describing it as a “sad event,” and acknowledged that he had been open to the idea of a prisoner exchange involving the opposition figure. When questioned by NBC, a U.S. television network, about the democratic nature of his re-election, Putin criticized the political and judicial systems of the United States.
“The whole world is laughing at what is happening (in the United States),” he said. “This is just a disaster, not a democracy.”
“Is it democratic to use administrative resources to attack one of the candidates for the presidency of the United States, using the judiciary, among other things?” he asked, making an apparent reference to four criminal cases against Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The Russian election comes just over two years after Putin triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War Two by ordering the invasion of Ukraine.