Putin was re-elected for another six years – Steven Seagal was also in attendance
Inauguration at Kremlin – Putin accuses West of “politics of aggression” against Russia
Vladimir Putin accused the West of a “policy of aggression” during his re-election speech as Russia’s president. Watch the swearing-in ceremony at the Kremlin here, as WELT foreign policy chief Klaus Geiger and Moscow correspondent Christoph Wanner comment.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term on Tuesday. Attendees at the event: Russian biker group Night Wolves and American action movie star Steven Seagal.
RVladimir Putin has been sworn in for the fifth term as the President of the United States. That means a 71 year old man can rule the country for 6 more years. A crowd of dignitaries saw him. Many European countries, including the United States and Germany, boycotted the ceremony in Moscow because of the war of aggression against Ukraine. German Ambassador Alexander Graf Lambsdorff was invited to Berlin by the federal government on Monday.
Putin was re-elected in March, but the West did not recognize the election because of apparent manipulation. Earlier in the day, Putin announced exercises with nuclear weapons and made clear threats against the West.
Putin said leading Russia was a “sacred duty”. “Together we will win,” he added. Russia will emerge “stronger” from “this difficult time”. Putin did not rule out a dialogue with the West, but only on an equal footing, as he emphasized during his introduction. In the short speech, Putin also emphasized his openness to relations with other countries, which he described as “the majority of the world.”
The Russian Constitution was introduced
What: Via REUTERS
Alexander Zaldostanow, leader of the Russian biker group Nachtwöfe, also appeared.
Source: AP/Alexander Nemenov
Also there: American action film actor Steven Seagal
Source: dpa/Alexander Nemenov
The 71-year-old has been president for nearly a quarter of a century – the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin (dictator of the Soviet Union from 1927 until his death in 1953). His term, which began on Tuesday, will last until 2030, after which he will be eligible to stand for re-election.
It remains unclear how he will shape his domestic and foreign policy over the next six years. Russian troops are now on the move again in Ukraine, while the embattled country is suffering from a shortage of soldiers and ammunition. Both sides are recording heavy losses. Ukraine has brought strife to Russia through drone and missile attacks, particularly in border areas.
He began his previous term in office in 2018 promising to make Russia one of the world’s five largest economies, which would be “modern and dynamic”. He failed to achieve this goal, instead focusing the country’s economy on war. Officials are investing in defense at an unprecedented rate. Now that Putin is in office for a fifth term, experts say he may resort to unpopular measures such as tax increases to finance the war in Ukraine. It could also increase the pressure to encourage more men to join the military.
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