Vladimir Putin began his fifth term as Russia’s leader on Tuesday in a glittering inauguration at the Kremlin, beginning another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, unleashing a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power among his hands.
At the ceremony in the Kremlin’s golden Grand Palace, Putin placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and pledged to defend it as a crowd of hand-picked dignitaries looked on.
“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize all our plans, together we will win,” Putin said after taking the oath.
P.A.
Since succeeding President Boris Yeltsin in the final hours of 1999, Putin has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse into a pariah state that threatens global security.
Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which became the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other regimes such as China, Iran and North Korea to gain support.
Already in power for nearly a quarter century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin, Putin’s new term does not expire until 2030, when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again.
In a heavily choreographed performance, Putin was photographed in his office looking at his papers before walking the long corridors of the Kremlin, stopping at one point to look at a painting, en route to his inauguration.
His honor guard waited for hours in sleet and rain, in temperatures just above freezing, while Putin made the brief trip to the Grand Kremlin Palace in his Auras limousine.
Putin took advantage of the first moments of his fifth term to thank the “heroes” of his war in Ukraine and to denounce the West.
Russia “does not refuse dialogue with Western states,” he said. On the contrary, he added, “the choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to contain Russia, continue the policy of aggression and continually put pressure on our country for years, or to seek a path towards cooperation and peace?
The Russian leader was greeted with applause as he entered the hall with more than 2,500 people who his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said had been invited to the ceremony.
They included senior Russian government officials as well as celebrities, including American actor Steven Seagal.
A French diplomat confirmed that the French ambassador was present at the inauguration.
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, was not present and the official Russian news agency Tass reported that she was out of the country.
The question now is what Putin, 71, will do over the next six years in the Kremlin, both at home and abroad.
Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched earth tactics as kyiv grapples with a shortage of men and ammunition.
Both sides suffered heavy losses.
Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil with drone and missile attacks, particularly in border regions.
In a speech in February, Putin pledged to achieve Moscow’s goals in Ukraine and do what was necessary to “defend our sovereignty and the security of our citizens.”
Shortly after his orchestrated re-election in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia was possible and said he wanted to create a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.
At home, Putin’s popularity is closely linked to improving the living standards of ordinary Russians.
Putin once again promised Russians a prosperous future on Tuesday, but since the invasion of Ukraine, many have seen the cost of living rise.
Putin began his term in 2018 by promising to place Russia among the world’s top five economies, promising that it should be “modern and dynamic.”
Instead, the Russian economy has shifted to a war footing and authorities are spending record sums on defense.
Analysts say that now that Putin has secured six more years in power, the government could take unpopular steps of raising taxes to finance the war and pressuring more men to join the army.
At the start of a new term, the Russian government is regularly dissolved so that Putin can appoint a new prime minister and government.
A key area to watch is the Department of Defense.
Last year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came under pressure over his conduct of the war, with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin sharply criticizing him for the lack of ammunition for his private contractors. fighter in Ukraine.
Prigozhin’s brief uprising in June against the Defense Ministry posed the greatest threat to Putin’s regime.
After Prigozhin was killed 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 corruption charges amid reports of rampant corruption.
Some analysts have suggested that Shoigu could become a casualty of the government reshuffle, but that would be a bold move given that war still rages in Ukraine.
REUTERS
REUTERS
In the years following the invasion, authorities cracked down on all forms of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times.
Putin indicated Tuesday that he would continue to silence critics.
He asked his audience at the Grand Kremlin Palace to remember the “tragic cost of internal unrest and upheaval” and said Russia “must be strong and absolutely resilient to all challenges and threats.”
Putin begins his fifth term with virtually no opposition at home.
His greatest political enemy, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in February in an Arctic penal colony. Other prominent critics have been imprisoned or fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear for their safety.
Laws have been passed that threaten long prison sentences for anyone who discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and anyone who does not respect what Putin has emphasized are Russia’s “traditional family values.”
New York Post
