Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was re-elected this Sunday for his fifth term, thanked the Russian people who came to vote. Putin stated that the election result will allow Russian society to become stronger. The autocrat stated that his country will not be “intimidated” or “suppressed”. He stated that no one has ever managed to do this in history. “That didn’t work today and it won’t work in the future,” Putin said, according to AFP.
Putin was elected this Sunday for the fifth time and will remain in power until 2030, becoming the longest-serving leader since Josef Stalin. He takes power amid accusations of fraud, abuse of political power and a war against Ukraine. Victory was taken for granted, as most of the candidates and opposition were killed, arrested, exiled or prevented from running.
Putin promised to severely punish all those responsible for vandalism of the ballot boxes during the election. “Those who spoiled the ballots will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” Putin said.
On state TV, the president answered questions from journalists and international correspondents. Asked about the priorities for his next term, he spoke about the war in Ukraine. “We need to carry out the tasks in the context of the special military operation,” said Putin, using the term the Kremlin uses for the invasion of the neighboring country.
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The election was undermined by the arrest and death of the Russian president’s biggest opponent, Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last February. Navalny’s supporters accused the Russian president of involvement in the death, but the Kremlin denied that Putin had any involvement.
Responding to a question from NBC News, Putin stated that he was ready to exchange opposition leader Alexey Navalny for Russian prisoners held elsewhere. He described Navalny’s death as an accident. “Yes, he passed away. This is an unfortunate incident,” he said.
