Russian President Vladimir Putin has been sworn in for another six-year term in office.
The inauguration ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace marked the beginning of Putin’s fifth term.
The Russian leader was greeted with applause when he entered the hall. His spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov said that more than 2,500 people had been invited to the ceremony.
They included senior members of the Russian government as well as celebrities including American actor, Steven Seagal.
The Kremlin downplayed the boycott of the event by western diplomats, pointing to a handful of European countries that sent representatives to the event.
Envoys from France, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Malta and Cyprus attended the inauguration.
At the ceremony inside the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a crowd of looked on.
“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize all our plans, together we will win,” Putin said after being sworn in.
Putin used the first moments of his fifth term to thank the “heroes” of his war in Ukraine and to rail against the West.
Putin denied that Russia was isolated more than two years into its invasion of Ukraine, saying that the “world’s majority … view Russia as a reliable and honest partner.”
Russia “does not refuse dialogue with Western states,” he said.
Rather, he said, “the choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to contain Russia, continue the policy of aggression, continuous pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace.”
“Dialogue, including on security and strategic stability, is possible, but not from a position of strength, without any arrogance, swagger and exclusivity claims, but only on equal terms and with due respect for each other’s interests.”
Vladimir Putin
Putin also indicated that he would continue to silence critics.
He told his audience in the Grand Kremlin Palace to remember the “tragic cost of internal turmoil and upheaval,” and said that Russia “must be strong and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats.”
Putin has effectively held office for nearly a quarter of a century and is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin.
If still in power when his new term expires in 2030, Putin would have been in power longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the eighteenth century.
He would still be constitutionally eligible to run for another six years.
Putin Likened To Alexander Nevsky
In a subsequent blessing held at the nearby Annunciation Cathedral, Patriarch Kirill, Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, compared Putin to the legendary medieval Prince, Alexander Nevsky, saying that he “did not spare his enemies, but he became famous as a saint.
“The Head of state must sometimes make fateful and formidable decisions,” the Patriarch said.
“And if such a decision is not made, the consequences can be extremely dangerous for the people and the state. But these decisions are almost always connected with victims.”
Patriarch Kirill
While the inauguration will change little in Russia, it may lead to a government shake-up.
Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, signed an order that dissolved the cabinet.
Nonetheless, the cabinet will continue in an acting capacity until new candidates are chosen.
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