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Putin Begins Fifth Term as President 05/07 06:18
(AP) -- Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a
glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office
after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in
Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
At the ceremony inside the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin placed his
hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a crowd of
hand-picked dignitaries looked on.
"We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all
obstacles, realize all our plans, together we will win," Putin said after being
sworn in.
Since succeeding President Boris Yeltsin in the waning hours of 1999, Putin
has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a
pariah state that threatens global security. Following the 2022 invasion of
Ukraine that has become Europe's biggest conflict since World War II, Russia
has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other regimes like
China, Iran and North Korea for support.
Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving
Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin's new term doesn't expire until 2030,
when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again.
In a heavily choreographed performance, Putin was pictured in his office
looking at his papers before walking along the Kremlin's long corridors,
pausing at one point to look at a painting, on the way to his inauguration.
His guard of honor waited in the sleet and rain for hours, in temperatures
hovering just above freezing, while Putin made the brief journey to the Grand
Kremlin Palace in his Auras limousine.
Putin used the the first moments of his fifth term to thank the "heroes" of
his war in Ukraine and to rail against the West.
Russia "does not refuse dialogue with Western states," he said. Rather, he
said, "the choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to contain
Russia, continue the policy of aggression, continuous pressure on our country
for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace."
The Russian leader was greeted with applause when he entered the hall with
more than 2,500 people who, his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, had been
invited to the ceremony. They included senior members of the Russian government
as well as celebrities including American actor Steven Seagal.
A French diplomat confirmed the French ambassador attended the inauguration.
The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymously because they were not authorized
to speak publicly.
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy did not attend and Russian state news
agency Tass reported she was out of the country.
The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of
another six years in the Kremlin, both at home and abroad.
Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched-earth
tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition. Both sides are
taking heavy casualties.
Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile
attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to
fulfill Moscow's goals in Ukraine, and do what is needed to "defend our
sovereignty and security of our citizens."
Shortly after his orchestrated reelection in March, Putin suggested that a
confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and he declared he wanted to
carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border
attacks.
At home, Putin's popularity is closely tied to improving living standards
for ordinary Russians.
Putin on Tuesday once again promised Russians a prosperous future, but since
the invasion of Ukraine, many have seen the cost of living rise.
Putin began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five
global economies, vowing it should be "modern and dynamic." Instead, Russia's
economy has pivoted to a war footing, and authorities are spending record
amounts on defense.
Analysts say now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the
government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and
pressure more men to join the military.
At the start of a new term, the Russian government is routinely dissolved so
that Putin can name a new prime minister and Cabinet.
One key area to watch is the Defense Ministry.
Last year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu came under pressure over his
conduct of the war, with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launching withering
criticism against him for shortages of ammunition for his private contractors
fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin's brief uprising in June against the Defense
Ministry represented the biggest threat to Putin's rule.
After Prigozhin was killed two months later in a mysterious plane crash,
Shoigu appeared to have survived the infighting. But last month, his protege,
Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, was detained on charges of bribery amid
reports of rampant corruption.
Some analysts have suggested Shoigu could become a victim of the government
reshuffle but that would be a bold move as the war is still raging in Ukraine.
In the years following the invasion, authorities have cracked down on any
form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times.
Putin indicated Tuesday that he would continue to silence critics.
He told his audience in the Grand Kremlin Palace to remember the "tragic
cost of internal turmoil and upheaval," and said that Russia "must be strong
and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats."
Putin enters his fifth term with practically no opposition inside the
country.
His greatest political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an
Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been
imprisoned or have fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear
for their security.
Laws have been enacted that threaten long prison terms for anyone who
discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights
groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don't hew to what Putin has emphasized
as Russia's "traditional family values."
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