Vladimir Putin re-elected as Russian President. Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule for another six years.
Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia’s defences against the West and to raise living standards, media report reveals.
In a victory speech near Red Square, Putin told a cheering crowd he interpreted the win as a vote of confidence in what he had achieved in tough conditions. “It’s very important to maintain this unity. We will think about the future of our great Motherland,” said Putin, before leading the crowd in repeated chants of “Russia!” He told a meeting of supporters afterwards that difficult times were ahead, but that Russia had a chance to make “a breakthrough”.
