Vladimir Putin began his fifth term as president of Russia

X.com

Moscow.-Vladimir Putin began his fifth term as president of Russia on Tuesday with an opulent inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin, following destroying his political rivals, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and consolidating all power in his hands.

The new term of Putin, who has been in power for more than a quarter of a century and is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, does not expire until 2030, when he might opt for another six-year period.

At the ceremony in the ornate Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin placed a hand on the Constitution and promised to defend it as a crowd of hand-picked leaders looked on.

Putin has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse into a pariah that threatens global security. Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has become the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia has faced intense sanctions from the West and is turning to other regimes such as China, Iran and North Korea in search of support.

The question now is what Putin, 71, will do over another six years, both domestically and internationally.

Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched earth tactics as kyiv faces shortages of troops and ammunition. Both sides are suffering considerable casualties.

Ukraine has taken the battle to Russian soil with drone and missile attacks, especially over border regions.

In his inauguration speech, Putin appeared to refer to the invasion, although without naming it.

“We will go through this difficult period with dignity and we will emerge stronger,” said the Russian leader in the Kremlin and added: “We are a great and united nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, we will achieve everything planned, and together, we will win.”

Shortly following his orchestrated re-election in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and declared that he wanted to establish a security zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.

However, today he offered dialogue to the West on security and strategic stability, although he defended the creation of a new world order.

“We do not reject dialogue with Western countries. It depends on them,” he said following swearing. He stressed that dialogue with the West on security and strategic stability is “possible,” but warned that it should not take place “from a position of strength,” but rather “without arrogance, arrogance or personal exclusivity, and only on equal terms. respecting the interests of each one.”

Meanwhile, he stressed that Russia continues the work of “formation of a multipolar world and an equitable and indivisible security system.”

In Russia, its popularity is closely linked to improving the standard of living of ordinary Russians.

In 2018, he began his mandate with the promise of placing Russia among the five largest economies in the world, noting that it would be a “modern and dynamic” nation. Instead, the Russian economy has shifted toward a war-based foundation, with record defense spending.

Analysts say that now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the government might take unpopular steps such as raising taxes to finance the war or pressuring more men to join the army.

With the start of the new term, the government will be dissolved so that Putin can appoint a new prime minister and a new executive.

Last year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came under pressure for his management of the war and mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin harshly criticized him for a shortage of ammunition for his company’s troops fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin’s brief revolt in June once morest the Defense Ministry was the biggest threat to Putin’s government.

Following Prigozhin’s death two months later in a mysterious plane crash, Shoigu appeared to have survived the infighting. But last month, his protégé, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, was arrested on bribery charges amid reports of rampant corruption.

Some analysts have suggested that Shoigu might become a victim of the government reshuffle, although this would be a bold move as the country continues to wage war in Ukraine.

In the years since the invasion, authorities have pursued any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times. There are no signs that this repression will ease during Putin’s new term.

His main rival, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been jailed or fled the country, and some of his opponents abroad fear for their safety.

Rules have been imposed that threaten long prison sentences for anyone who discredits the army. The Kremlin also attacks independent media, human rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who do not align with what Putin has stressed as Russia’s “traditional family values.”Infobae.