Moscow: Vladimir Putin took oath as Russian president in a flamboyant inauguration at the Kremlin on Tuesday to begin his fifth term, after tightening his grip on power by launching a devastating war in Ukraine and destroying his political opponents. As Russia’s tensions with Western countries are at an all-time high over the Ukraine conflict, several of these countries have opted to skip the high-profile inauguration.
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 is constitutionally eligible to run for another six years. The 71-year-old President has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a pariah state that threatens global security.