Russia presidential poll: Vladimir Putin secures record post-Soviet landslide victory
Vladimir Putin has secured a landslide victory in the Russian presidential election, with official figures indicating he garnered 87.97% of the vote. The victory came even as thousands within the country and around the world protested against the war in Ukraine and a stage-managed election that could only have one winner. With a new six-year term, Putin will surpass Josef Stalin as Russia's longest-serving leader in more than two centuries.
Why does this story matter?
Originally, the 1993 Russian constitution limited presidents to two consecutive four-year terms. However, the 2008 amendments extended the term to six years, and the 2020 amendments reset Putin's presidential term count to zero from 2024, potentially allowing him to stay in power until 2036. Given his dominance over Russia and the lack of serious opponents, Putin's re-election was inevitable. Still, the former KGB operative wanted to demonstrate that the Russian people overwhelmingly supported him.
Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov comes in second
According to an exit poll by the Public Opinion Foundation, Putin's vote share was the biggest ever in the country's post-Soviet history. Despite the expected poll results, the Russian Federation had given three opposition leaders the opportunity to challenge Putin. With just under 4% of the vote, communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov finished second, followed by rookie Vladislav Davankov in third and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky in fourth, the partial results indicated, according to Reuters.
Putin warns of World War III
Following his victory, Putin cautioned the West on Monday that a direct clash between Russia and the United States-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization would bring the world closer to "World War III," noting that few desired such a scenario. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has sparked the most severe crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin has frequently highlighted the dangers of nuclear war but asserts he has not considered deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Opposition protests and international criticism over Putin's victory
Notably, during the polling, the supporters of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who passed away in an Arctic prison last month, had organized a "Noon against Putin protest." A White House National Security Council spokesperson said, "The elections are obviously not free nor fair given how Mr. Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him." Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also criticized the election, saying Putin should be on trial in The Hague.
Russia-Ukraine conflict
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 over territorial disputes and to prevent the latter from joining the NATO. As the Russia-Ukraine crisis deepens, Ukraine has been successful in launching a counter-offensive against Russian forces with defense support, including military drones from the West and NATO countries.