In his victory address Vladimir Putin declares that he ‘will boost the military

Russian Presidential Elections 2024:

With 87.8% of the vote on Sunday, President Vladimir Putin won in a historic post-Soviet landslide. He made it plain that the outcome should send a message to Western leaders that they will have to deal with a stronger Russia, whether in war or peace, for many years to come.

Putin is about to take office for a second six-year term that, if successful, would overtake Josef Stalin as the longest-serving leader of Russia in more than 200 years.

Here are the top 10 updates on Russia’s presidential elections:

• Following the results were announced, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries asserted that censorship and the imprisonment of political opponents had tainted the vote and rendered it neither free nor fair.
• With slightly 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, according to provisional results reported by Reuters.
• Putin promised his supporters during his victory speech that he would bolster the Russian military and give priority to finishing tasks related to what he described as Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
• “There are many duties ahead of us. But when we are consolidated, no matter who seeks to scare or oppress us, nobody has ever succeeded in history, they are not succeeding now, and they will never succeed in the future,” the Russian President stated.
• His fans screamed “Russia, Russia, Russia” and “Putin, Putin, Putin” as he entered the stage.
• Thousands of Putin’s detractors staged protests against him at polling stations across the country at noon. They were inspired by the late opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison last month.
• “What is happening (in the United States) is being laughed at by the entire world.” When asked if his re-election was democratic, Putin replied, “This is a disaster, not a democracy.” He criticized the US political and judicial systems.
• Election officials report that the national turnout was 74.22% at the conclusion of polling on 1800 GMT, surpassing the 67.5% registered in 2018.

Even while Russians quietly dissent,Vladimir Putin basks in an unquestionable political win:

Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in an undeniable victory early Monday, as partial election results showed him easily winning a fifth term after facing only weak competitors and ruthlessly suppressing opposition voices.

On Sunday, the last day of the election, Russians flocked outside polling places at midday, perhaps responding to an opposition demand to voice their disapproval of Putin, leaving little room for protest. Nonetheless, the coming landslide demonstrated that Russia’s leader will tolerate nothing less than complete control of the country’s political system as he extends his nearly 25-year rule for another six years.

Although others viewed the early results as just another manifestation of the election’s predetermined character, Putin celebrated them as a sign of “trust” and “hope” in him.

“Of course, we have a lot of work ahead. But I’d like to make one thing clear: no one has ever been able to intimidate or stifle our will or self-conscience since our consolidation. They have failed in the past and will fail in the future,” Putin warned in a meeting with volunteers after the voting closed.

The polls in Russia have closed as a result of the illegitimate elections held on Ukrainian territory, the lack of voting options for people, and the absence of independent OSCE supervision, as stated by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is not what free and fair elections look like.”

Putin’s campaign in Ukraine has suppressed all public criticism. Independent media has been crippled. His toughest political rival, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison last month, and other critics are either imprisoned or exiled.

There was very little independent monitoring of the election, in addition to the fact that voters had very little options. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, Putin received approximately 87% of the vote, with almost 90% of precincts counted.

Those dissatisfied with Putin or the war in Ukraine were encouraged by Navalny’s associates to vote on Sunday at noon in that strictly regulated setting. At that time, lines appeared to form outside several polling places in Russia as well as at its embassies abroad.

The appeal was answered by Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s widow, who joined a lengthy queue in Berlin while some members of the audience cheered and chanted her name.

After spending over five hours in line, she revealed to reporters that she had written her late husband’s name on the ballot.

“Please stop asking for messages from me or from somebody for Mr. Putin,” Navalnaya said in response to the question of if she had a message for him. There could be no conversations or talks with Mr. Putin since he is a killer and a thug.”

However, Putin downplayed the effectiveness of the apparent protest.

Voting was called for around midday. And this was intended to be an expression of protest. “Well, if there were calls to vote, then… I applaud that,” he remarked at a news conference after the polls closed.

For the first time in years, Putin referred to Navalny by name during the press conference. He also stated that he was aware of a scheme to liberate the opposition leader from prison days before his death. Putin agreed to the concept on the condition that Navalny did not return to Russia.

It was impossible to verify whether every Russian in line was participating in the protest, but some Russians who were in line to vote in Moscow and St. Petersburg told The Associated Press that they were.

One woman in Moscow, named Yulia, told the Associated Press that she was voting for the first time.

“My conscience will be clear… for the future that I want to see for our country, even if my vote makes no difference,” she declared. She, like others, declined to reveal her complete name due to security concerns.

Meanwhile, followers of Navalny flocked to his burial in Moscow, some carrying votes with his name on them.

Russia’s largest independent news source, Meduza, released images of ballots it had received from its viewers. One ballot had the word “killer,” another “thief,” and a third said “The Hague awaits you.” The last is an arrest order issued by the International Criminal Court against Putin, accusing him of personal culpability for child abductions in Ukraine.

It is not surprising that some people told the AP that they were delighted to vote for Putin in a nation where state TV constantly praises the Russian president and it is dangerous to express any other opinion. Independent media has been severely restricted.

Dmitry Sergienko, who voted in Moscow, stated, “I am happy with everything and want everything to continue as it is now.”

Voting was conducted over the course of three days at voting places spread throughout the large nation, online, and in unauthorizedly annexed areas of Ukraine. As Russians voted Sunday, Russian authorities reported Ukraine unleashed a significant new wave of attacks against Russia, killing two people, highlighting the Kremlin’s concerns.