President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked Russians for casting ballots in a presidential vote in which he cemented his grip on the country for another six years after the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times.
Any public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine has been stifled, independent media have been crippled, Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month and other opposition activists are either in jail or in exile. Western leaders denounced the election as a sham.
Speaking in a video address following the announcement of the final results of the March 15-17 election which showed him winning 87% of the votes, Putin argued that it reflected strong public backing of his policies.
“It means support for the country’s political and economic course, our common achievements that, of course, should be even greater but even now make Russia stronger and more independent,” he said.
The Central Election Commission on Thursday released the final official results of the balloting, which showed Putin getting over 76 million votes, the largest number in his nearly quarter-century rule. His three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who backed Putin’s policies each received 3% to 4% of the vote.
In addition to there being little choice, no independent monitoring organizations were able to observe the election and analysts said online polling meant it was highly susceptible to manipulation.
In addition to there being little choice, no independent monitoring organizations were able to observe the election and analysts said online polling meant it was highly susceptible to manipulation.
While Putin’s landslide victory was never in doubt, many Russians still attempted to defy the preordained outcome, heeding a call by Navalny’s associates to protest Putin’s repression at home and his war in Ukraine by showing up at polling stations at noon on Sunday. Lines outside a number of polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world swelled at that time.
Putin has led Russia as president or prime minister since December 1999, a tenure marked by international military aggression and increasing intolerance of dissent. At the end of his fifth term, Putin would be the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great, who ruled during the 18th century.
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday thanked Russians for casting ballots in a presidential vote in which he cemented his grip on the country for another six years after the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times.
Any public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine has been stifled, independent media have been crippled, Putin’s fiercest political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month and other opposition activists are either in jail or in exile. Western leaders denounced the election as a sham.
Speaking in a video address following the announcement of the final results of the March 15-17 election which showed him winning 87% of the votes, Putin argued that it reflected strong public backing of his policies.
“It means support for the country’s political and economic course, our common achievements that, of course, should be even greater but even now make Russia stronger and more independent,” he said.
The Central Election Commission on Thursday released the final official results of the balloting, which showed Putin getting over 76 million votes, the largest number in his nearly quarter-century rule. His three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who backed Putin’s policies each received 3% to 4% of the vote.
In addition to there being little choice, no independent monitoring organizations were able to observe the election and analysts said online polling meant it was highly susceptible to manipulation.
While Putin’s landslide victory was never in doubt, many Russians still attempted to defy the preordained outcome, heeding a call by Navalny’s associates to protest Putin’s repression at home and his war in Ukraine by showing up at polling stations at noon on Sunday. Lines outside a number of polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world swelled at that time.
Putin has led Russia as president or prime minister since December 1999, a tenure marked by international military aggression and increasing intolerance of dissent. At the end of his fifth term, Putin would be the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great, who ruled during the 18th century.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to visit China in May for discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking what could be the Kremlin chief’s first foreign visit in his latest presidential term.
“Putin will visit China,” Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing one of a number of sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another of the sources said Putin’s trip to China would probably take place in the second half of May.
“Several presidential visits and several high-level contacts are being prepared at the moment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.
Putin’s potential visit comes amid criticism of his re-election from Western nations, who have labeled it as unfair and undemocratic. Meanwhile, countries like China, India and North Korea extended their congratulations to the Russian president, underscoring the stark geopolitical rifts deepened by Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
China hasn’t officially backed Russia’s invasion but has provided financial assistance to shore up the Kremlin’s economy.
Any meeting between Putin and Xi would occur against a backdrop of the U.S. delineating China and Russia as its foremost global competitors and potential adversaries. The Biden administration views the current era as a pivotal clash between democratic and autocratic regimes.
Putin and Xi share a vision that sees the West as declining, especially as China contests U.S. dominance in various fields, ranging from quantum computing to military might.
Diplomats and analysts anticipate Putin’s visit to China would be his initial international stop post-re-election, with his formal presidential inauguration expected around May 7.
Putin last visited China for the Belt and Road Initiative Summit from October 17-18, 2023, one of his first major international trips since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. Xi went to Moscow for a state visit in March of last year.
Last month, China’s envoy to Russia hinted that Putin and Xi will meet “several times” this year.
“Putin’s visit to China [this year] will definitely be a success,” Zhang Hanhui told Russian state news agency Sputnik on Saturday.
In a post-election press conference on Monday, Putin emphasized the aligned global perspectives and growing bilateral relations between Russia and China, attributing the strength of their ties to his personal rapport with Xi.
