Vladimir Putin is the only leader that Russians 25 and younger have ever known.
And last May, his hand on a red-bound copy of Russia’s Constitution, he was inaugurated for a fifth term as Russia’s president. He has spent much of his presidency chipping away at the democratic rights protected by Russia’s Constitution.
If Putin, 72, serves a full six years of this term, he’ll become the longest-serving Russian leader since Empress Catherine the Great. She lived in the 18th century and ruled Russia for more than 34 years.
“Together we will overcome all obstacles,” Putin declared in his inaugural address. “We will achieve everything we have planned. Together we will win.”
According to election results released by the Kremlin, voters showed their overwhelming approval of Putin by giving him 87 percent of the vote in the March 2024 election. He ran against three other candidates chosen by his government. Western powers including the United Kingdom, European Union, and United States quickly declared the elections undemocratic because no genuine opposition candidates could get permission to run.