In the recent Russian presidential election, Vladimir Putin secured a commanding victory, receiving 87.32% of the votes, as announced by Ella Pamfilova, the head of Russia’s Central Election Commission, with nearly all ballots counted. With 75.9 million votes in his favor, Putin’s triumph came amidst a record-breaking turnout of 77.44%, surpassing the previous record set in 1991.
During the election period, the commission’s resources were targeted by over 12 million DDoS cyberattacks, highlighting the intense cyber challenges faced. Putin’s primary challengers included Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party with 4.3%, Vladislav Davankov of the New People party with 3.84%, and Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party with 3.21%.
Putin, in his victory speech, expressed his vision for Russia as a “strong, independent, sovereign” nation and emphasized the importance of the Russian people’s choice over international reactions. He cautioned about the potential for conflict between Russia and NATO, hinting at the dire consequences of a third world war, and advocated for peace negotiations regarding Ukraine, suggesting France’s involvement.
Addressing foreign and domestic political issues, Putin criticized the political climate in the U.S. and dismissed attempts to provoke China over Taiwan as futile. He also referred to the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny as regrettable and mentioned a thwarted prisoner exchange involving Navalny.
Following the election, Putin received congratulatory messages from global leaders, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the election’s legitimacy and accused Putin of clinging to power.–Web Desk