Twenty five years after being in power, Vladimir Putin has been re-elected as President of Russia, securing 87% of the votes, as per Russian exit polls.
Having already served 20 years as president and four as prime minister, at the age of 71, Putin now surpasses any ruler in Russia’s history since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, who spent 31 years in power.
The Kremlin ensured that Putin faced no credible opponent, guaranteeing him a wide margin victory for his fifth term.
President Putin asserts that his election victory will enable Russia to become stronger and more effective.
“In every voice, we are building the collective will of the people of the Russian Federation,” Putin stated at his campaign headquarters.
The Russian electoral commission awarded Putin over 90% of the vote in Donetsk, an area occupied by Russia.
Donetsk, the largest city in eastern Ukraine under Russian occupation, is where Moscow boasts most of its loyalty.
Across polling stations in Russia, at least 80 protesters were detained for acts of vandalism. Some incidents involved pouring green dye into ballot boxes on Friday, as well as setting off fireworks inside polling stations.
Russians cast their votes across 11 different time zones between Friday and Sunday, yet there was no credible opponent to the incumbent leader on the ballot.
Global Reaction to Russian Election
Many Western authorities have criticized the Russian election, citing it as neither free nor fair.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to Putin as a “dictator” intoxicated by power, stating, “There is no evil he will not commit to prolong his personal power.”
A White House spokesperson stated that the election was “obviously not free nor fair,” citing Putin’s imprisonment of political opponents and prevention of others from running against him.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron criticized the vote, stating, “This is not what free and fair elections look like.”
The German foreign ministry labeled the Russian vote a “pseudo-election” and added that “Putin’s rule is authoritarian, relying on censorship, repression, and violence.”
Meanwhile, the Polish foreign ministry stated that it would be “impossible to make a free, democratic choice” in the Russian election.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Putin upon his victory.
The Chinese foreign ministry also congratulated Putin, expressing confidence that under the strategic guidance of Presidents Xi Jinping and Putin, China-Russia relations would continue to progress.
“Putin is Not a Politician, He is a Gangster” – Alexei Navalny’s Wife
The wife of the late Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny believes people should stand against President Putin.
Yulia Navalnaya voted at the Russian embassy in Berlin, where she emphasized that the West needs to recognize the true nature of the Russian president – a “gangster.”
In an op-ed for The Washington Post days earlier, Navalnaya urged Russians to “not recognize Putin as the legitimate president of Russia.”
“I urge you to finally hear the voice of free Russia and take a stand against him (Putin) – do not recognize the results of the falsified elections,” she wrote in her op-ed.
In her closing remarks, she emphasized that the world needs to “finally realize that Putin is not who he appears to be. He is a tyrant, a war criminal – and a murderer.”
Navalny died in prison in the Arctic Circle, confirmed by the prison service.
Navalny was seen as the most vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin. He was serving a 19-year jail term for offenses many considered politically motivated.
The 47-year-old blogger, who survived poisoning with a nerve agent, died while serving his long prison sentence in February 2024, after more than three years in detention.
