Vladimir Putin declared that Russia would not be “bullied” as he celebrated a win that allows the former spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in over 200 years.
All of the 71-year-old’s main rivals are deceased, imprisoned, or in exile, and he has led a continual crackdown on anyone openly opposing his rule or his military actions in Ukraine.
“I am grateful to all of you and all citizens of the country for your support and confidence,” Putin stated early Monday in a press conference at his campaign headquarters in Moscow following the closure of polls.
“Regardless of who or how much they try to bully us, regardless of who or how much they try to suppress us, our determination, our awareness — no one has ever been successful in such endeavors in history. It did not work then and will not work in the future. Never,” he stated.
With over 80% of voting stations reporting results, Putin had secured 87.2% of all votes cast, as per official election data — a record win in a presidential election where he faced no genuine competition.
The three-day election was characterized by a rise in deadly Ukrainian attacks, intrusions into Russian territory by pro-Kyiv sabotage groups, and vandalism at polling stations.
The Kremlin portrayed the election as a moment for Russians to show support for the full-scale military operation in Ukraine, where voting is also taking place in Russian-controlled territories.
AFP
