Results indicate that Putin has secured approximately 87 percent of the vote, marking the highest-ever result in Russia’s post-Soviet history.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has solidified his control over the country with a resounding victory in the election, a win that has drawn widespread criticism for its perceived lack of democratic legitimacy.
During a post-election press conference, Putin portrayed the results as validation of his defiance against Western pressure and his recent decision to invade Ukraine.
“Regardless of who or how much they attempt to intimidate us, regardless of who or how much they endeavor to suppress us, our determination, our consciousness—no one in history has ever succeeded in such endeavors,” Putin declared in an address from his campaign headquarters early Monday morning.
“This approach hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work in the future. Never.”
Shortly after the closure of the last polls on Sunday, preliminary results confirmed the widely anticipated outcome: Putin would extend his nearly quarter-century reign for another six years.
As reported by Russia’s Central Election Commission, Putin garnered approximately 87 percent of the vote with around 60 percent of precincts counted. This victory will propel Putin, aged 71, to surpass Joseph Stalin as Russia’s longest-serving leader in over 200 years.
The Communist candidate Nikolay Kharitonov secured second place with just under 4 percent of the vote, followed by newcomer Vladislav Davankov in third and ultra-nationalist Leonid Slutsky in fourth, according to early results.
Election officials disclosed that nationwide turnout reached 74.22 percent at the close of polls, exceeding the levels recorded in 2018 at 67.5 percent.
Putin’s victory was never in question, as his critics find themselves either imprisoned, exiled, or deceased, and any public dissent against his leadership has been swiftly quelled.
The notable absence of Putin’s most vocal opponent, Alexey Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison the previous month, underscores the extent of Putin’s control over political opposition.
For Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel who ascended to power in 1999, the election outcome serves as a clear message to the West: Russia, under his leadership, will remain a force to be reckoned with, whether in times of conflict or peace, for the foreseeable future.
The United States criticized the election, denouncing it as neither free nor fair. The White House’s National Security Council spokesperson cited Putin’s imprisonment of political adversaries and his suppression of opposition candidates as evidence of the election’s lack of legitimacy.
Similarly, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed skepticism, stating that the election did not meet the standards of free and fair elections.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the election as fraudulent, asserting that it lacked legitimacy.
The election took place more than two years after Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, marking Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
On the day of the election, thousands of Putin’s opponents participated in protests against his rule, although the exact number of participants remains unconfirmed.
During his press conference, Putin acknowledged Navalny by name for the first time since his passing, revealing that he had supported a proposal to release Navalny in exchange for prisoners held in Western countries.
Putin’s political career began when he was nominated as acting president following Boris Yeltsin’s resignation. He won his first presidential election in March 2000 and secured a second term in 2004. After serving two terms as president, Putin assumed the role of prime minister in 2008 to circumvent constitutional limitations on consecutive presidential terms. However, he reclaimed the presidency in 2012 and secured a fourth term in 2018.
