Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose result was never in doubt, declaring his determination to advance deeper into Ukraine and swaying new threats against the West.
It was clear from the earliest returns that Putin’s nearly quarter-century rule will continue with a fifth term that grants him six more years.
Election officials said ‘Vladimir Putin had secured a record number of votes, underlining his total control over the political system’, said Election officials.
‘There was nothing free or fair about the election but resisted calls from Russia’s opposition to not recognize Putin as the winner’, said US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Ahead of the election, Putin’s political foe, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony, anti-war candidates were secured from the ballot and independent voices were silenced in a Kremlin-backed media blockade.
No independent monitoring organizations were able to observe the election and analysts said online polling meant the vote was highly susceptible to manipulation. Any public criticism of Putin or his war in Ukraine has been oppressive.
Putin appeared on the evening of Monday in Red Square in the heart of Moscow at a concert to mark the tenth year since he seized Crimea from Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin’s three token challengers for the presidency appeared on stage beside him and supported him after campaigns in which none of them criticized him.
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