after his re-election, Vladimir Putin promises that the country will not be “intimidated”

Just re-elected for a fifth term, the head of state spoke on Sunday evening to his campaign team, welcoming an “internal political consolidation”, after this election without opposition.

Just re-elected for a fifth six-year term, Sunday March 17, Vladimir Putin painted a portrait of a Russia “consolidated” by his victory and who will not let himself “intimidate” by his adversaries. The master of the Kremlin, in power for almost a quarter of a century, won 87.28% of the votes, according to the final results communicated by the Russian Election Commission at midday on Monday. This is a score “record”, following an unopposed presidential election.

At the end of the evening, Vladimir Putin thanked those who went to vote and helped create the conditions for a “internal political consolidation”two years after the start of the assault on Ukraine and the adoption of unprecedented sanctions against Moscow. “I would like to thank you all, as well as all the citizens of the country, for your support and trust”he told his campaign team.

“It doesn’t matter who wants to intimidate us or how much, no matter who wants to crush us or how much, our will or our conscience. No one has ever succeeded in doing anything like this in history. This has didn’t work today and won’t work in the future.”launched the 71-year-old head of state.

The death of Alexeï Navalny, a “sad event”

Vladimir Putin, who will be able to run again after this mandate to potentially remain in power until 2036, praised in his speech the soldiers fighting in Ukraine, who “risk their lives” For “protect the historical territories of Russia”. He estimated that the Russian forces, on the offensive since the capture of Avdiïvka in mid-February facing a Ukrainian army lacking men and ammunition, had “entirely the initiative” on the front.

In Russia, the authorities left no room for opponents of power: the three other candidates selected were all in line with the Kremlin, whether it was Ukraine or the repression which culminated in death of Alexeï Navalny a month ago in an Arctic prison. Vladimir Putin assured that the death of his main detractor was a “sad event” and that he had been favorable to the idea of ​​exchanging it with the West. “There was only one condition: that we trade him so that he doesn’t come back”he said.