Vladimir Putin on Monday welcomed the “return to the homeland” of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow, cheered by a crowd gathered on Red Square after his very large re-election following an unopposed presidential election. The master of the Kremlin, in power for almost a quarter of a century, collected 87.28% of the votes at the end of this election which was held from Friday to Sunday, including in the regions of Ukraine including Moscow claimed annexation.
This score was described as “exceptional” by the Kremlin and denounced as “unrelated to reality” by the opposition in exile. The 71-year-old president appeared in the evening on Red Square, where a concert was taking place celebrating the 10th anniversary of the annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the first act of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Welcomed by the crowd with cries of “Russia! Russia!”, Vladimir Putin, accompanied on stage by his three presidential opponents, assured that his country would go “forward, hand in hand” with the territories conquered in Ukraine.
“Even greater successes”
“The return to the homeland turned out to be more difficult, more tragic, but we succeeded and it is a great event in the history of our state,” Vladimir Putin said in a short speech before singing the Russian anthem in unison with the crowd, at the foot of the Kremlin walls. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 after an intervention by its special forces. In September 2022, it claimed the annexation of four other regions of Ukraine which it partially occupies: those of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east, and those of Kherson and Zaporizhia in the south.
In the crowd of spectators at this patriotic concert, many Russians expressed their support for Vladimir Putin, after more than two years of military offensive in Ukraine and heavy Western sanctions. “All citizens who respect our country voted for Putin,” Elena, a 64-year-old economist who lives in Moscow, told AFP. Ivan Tregubov, a 30-year-old social worker, believes that “under his leadership, the country will only get stronger.” “We expect even greater successes,” he says.
“Vladimir Putin is the foundation of our country. I trust him,” says Victoria, aged 23, who was born when the master of the Kremlin was already in power. The Kremlin had made the presidential election a tailor-made election intended to demonstrate the “confidence” of Russians in their president: the three other candidates were all on the same line as Vladimir Putin, whether it was Ukraine or the repression which culminated with the death of opponent Alexeï Navalny in an Arctic prison in February.
Congratulations from Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi
The opposition nevertheless managed to show itself during this presidential election by gathering in polling stations at midday on Sunday, spoiling ballots or invalidating them by writing the name “Navalny”. This is what his widow Yulia Navalnaïa did by voting at the Russian embassy in Berlin. The deceased’s team, which accuses the Kremlin of having killed the opponent, judged that the score obtained by Vladimir Putin had “no link with reality”.
Russia’s partners congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election: Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured that this result proved “the full support of the Russians”, while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi saw it as a “solid victory”. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for strengthening the “special” relationship between the two countries and the leaders of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia also welcomed the outcome of the vote.
A man “drunk with power”
Berlin, London, Paris and the head of European diplomacy, for their part, castigated a vote under duress, without opposition and in full repression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he saw in Vladimir Putin a man “drunk with power” who wants to “reign forever”. In his victory speech late Sunday evening, Vladimir Putin painted a portrait of a “consolidated” Russia which will not allow itself to be “intimidated” by the West.
Regarding the front, however, the whole week was marked by deadly bombings and incursions by armed fighters from Ukraine to show Russia that it is not safe on its territory. In the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, these attacks have left at least 15 dead since March 12, according to local authorities.