Vladimir Putin began his fifth term as president of Russia on Tuesday with an opulent inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin, after destroying his political rivals, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and consolidating all power in his hands.
The new mandate of Putin, who has been in power for more than a quarter of a century and He is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin.does not expire until 2030when he could opt for another six-year period.
At the ceremony held in the ornate Grand Kremlin PalacePutin placed a hand on the Constitution and promised to defend it under the gaze of a multitude of carefully selected leaders.
Putin has transformed Russia of a country emerging from economic collapse in 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 come under intense sanctions from the West and is turning to other regimes such as China, Iran and North Korea for 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 attacksespecially on 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 emerge stronger“, indicated 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 after his orchestrated re-election in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possibleand declared that he wanted to establish a security zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.
Nevertheless, today offered dialogue to the West on security and strategic stabilityalthough he defended the creation of a new world order.
“We do not reject dialogue with Western countries. It depends on them,” he said after swearing. He stressed that dialogue with the West on matters of security and strategic stability is “possible”, but warned that this should not take place “from a position of strength”, but rather “without arrogance, arrogance or personal exclusivity, and only on equal conditions, 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, his Popularity is closely linked to improved living standards of ordinary Russians.
In 2018, He began his mandate with the promise of placing Russia among the five largest economies in the world, pointing out that it would be a “modern and dynamic” nation. Instead, the Russian economy has shifted toward a war basewith a record defense spending.
Analysts say that now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the government could take unpopular measures such as raising taxes to finance the war or pressure more men to join the army.
With the beginning of the new mandate, the government will be dissolved so that Putin can appoint a new prime minister and a new executive.
One of the departments to take into account is the Ministry of Defence.
Last year, the Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigucame under pressure for his management of the war and the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin He harshly criticized him for the shortage of ammunition for his company’s troops fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin’s brief revolt in June against 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, the deputy defense minister Timur Ivanovwas arrested accused of bribes amid reports of rampant corruption.
Some analysts have suggested that Shoigu could become a victim of government reorganizationalthough this would be a bold move as the country continues to wage war in Ukraine.
In the years after the invasion, the authorities have persecuted any form of dissent with a ferocity never seen since Soviet times. There are no signs that this repression will ease during Putin’s new term.
His main rival, the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in a penal colony in the Arctic in February. Other prominent critics have either been jailed or fled the country, and some of his opponents abroad fear for their safety.
They have imposed themselves rules that threaten long prison sentences for anyone who discredits the army. The Kremlin also attacks the independent mediato the groups of human rightsto activists LGBTQ+ and others who do not agree with what Putin has stressed as Russia’s “traditional family values.”
(With information from AP)
