<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (May 7) was sworn into office at a lavish Kremlin ceremony for a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before.&nbsp;With another six-year term, the leader will remain in office until 2030.</p>

<p>The 71-year-old has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, and secured a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections.</p>

<p>Putin said that Russia&nbsp;would pass through the current "difficult" period stronger and emerge victorious.</p>

<p><b>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-from-soviet-fight-picking-child-to-russias-reigning-president-701470">Vladimir Putin: From Soviet fight-picking child to Russia's reigning president</a></b></p>

<p>"We will pass through this difficult period with dignity and become even stronger," Putin said at his inauguration ceremony, adding: "We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win."</p>

<p>"Serving Russia is a huge honour, responsibility and sacred duty," the 71-year-old said in the Kremlin's gilded Saint Andrew's Hall.</p>

<p>Less than an hour before Russian President&nbsp;Vladimir&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;was sworn into office for a fifth term,&nbsp;UN rights chief Volker Turk called for&nbsp;an immediate halt to what he called Russia's intensifying "crackdown" on journalists and attacks on free speech.</p>

<p>"The continuous attacks on free speech and the criminalisation of independent journalism in Russia are very troubling," Turk said.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Which countries are boycotting Putin's swearing-in ceremony?</strong></p>

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<p>"The intensification of the crackdown on journalists'&nbsp;independent work must immediately cease and the right to inform -- a key component of the right to freedom of expression -- needs to be upheld."</p>

<p>Over two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin's goal of annexing all of Ukraine is far from complete. But despite Western sanctions, by promoting manufacturing at home, sourcing the imports from 'friendly' countries, and gradually decreasing the discounts on oil exports, Putin has managed to keep the Russian economy afloat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (May 7) was sworn into office at a lavish Kremlin ceremony for a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (May 7) was sworn into office at a lavish Kremlin ceremony for a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before. With another six-year term, the leader will remain in office until 2030. The 71-year-old has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, and secured a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections. Putin said that Russia would pass through the current "difficult" period stronger and emerge victorious. Also read | Vladimir Putin: From Soviet fight-picking child to Russia's reigning president "We will pass through this difficult period with dignity and become even stronger," Putin said at his inauguration ceremony, adding: "We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realise everything we have planned, and together, we will win." "Serving Russia is a huge honour, responsibility and sacred duty," the 71-year-old said in the Kremlin's gilded Saint Andrew's Hall. Less than an hour before Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn into office for a fifth term, UN rights chief Volker Turk called for an immediate halt to what he called Russia's intensifying "crackdown" on journalists and attacks on free speech. "The continuous attacks on free speech and the criminalisation of independent journalism in Russia are very troubling," Turk said. Also watch | Which countries are boycotting Putin's swearing-in ceremony? × "The intensification of the crackdown on journalists' independent work must immediately cease and the right to inform -- a key component of the right to freedom of expression -- needs to be upheld." Over two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin's goal of annexing all of Ukraine is far from complete. But despite Western sanctions, by promoting manufacturing at home, sourcing the imports from 'friendly' countries, and gradually decreasing the discounts on oil exports, Putin has managed to keep the Russian economy afloat. (With inputs from agencies)

Vladimir Putin begins fifth term as Russian president after grand inauguration ceremony

<p>On a cold day in the autumn of 1952, Vladimir Putin was born at Maternity Hospital No. 6, locally known as Snegiryov hospital, five minutes' walk from his parents' home on Baskov Lane in Leningrad. The hospital, founded in 1771 by Empress Catherine the Great, was the oldest in the Soviet Union and "reputedly the best in Leningrad", writes Phillip Short in Putin's biography, Putin: His Life and Times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twelve years after Catherine the Great founded the hospital where Putin was born, her forces captured present-day Crimea from the Ottomans. By 1783, Catherine had successfully concluded Crimea's annexation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Putin was to follow the great Russian empress' footsteps 231 years later in a completely different world whose semblance of stability depends on rules-based international order. In February 2014, as Russian president, he launched an invasion of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea was annexed completely by the end of March 2014.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The lasting evolution of Putin's statesmanly legacy is now seen through the lens of the events of February-March, 2014 when the Russian forces annexed Crimea. The invasion of Ukraine six years later in 2022 further complicated his leadership credentials with attributes of militaristic authoritarianism dominating the hue of democracy that Putin claims to be drawing credibility from.</p>

<p>At 71, Putin has won a fifth presidential tenure in Moscow's corridors of power, surpassing Josef Stalin. By the time he completes his tenure in 2030, he will become the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great herself.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Vladimir Putin: The child 'who could get into a fight with anyone'</strong></h2>

<p>Decades after Leningrad became St. Petersburg following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin wrote that he had been a hooligan as a child.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Historian Dmitry Travin, who also grew up in Leningrad in the 1960s, recounted: "It wasn't so much that conflicts sought him out, it was he who was looking for conflicts. Whenever a fight broke out, Putin was first to pile in."</p>

<p>Viktor Borisenko, who became Putin's "best friend at school" and for four years shared a desk with him, told Philip Short: "He could get into a fight with anyone. It still amazes me... He had no fear. He didn't seem to have an inner instinct for self-preservation. It never occurred to him that the other boy was stronger and might beat him up... If some hulking guy offended him, he would jump at him, scratch him, bite him, pull out clumps of his hair... He wasn't the strongest in our class, but in a fight he could beat anyone, because he would get into a fight with anyone."</p>

<h2><strong>Vladimir Putin: From Intelligence Tsar to President</strong></h2>

<p>As the product of the Class of 1975 of Leningrad State University, Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB (Committee for State Security). A year before the Soviet Union's collapse, in 1990, Putin retired as Lieutenant Colonel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the new Russia, he wore a politician's hat. In 1994, he became the Deputy Mayor of Saint Petersburg.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two years later, in 1996, Putin moved to Moscow to join the Kremlin as an administrator.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 1998, President Boris Yeltsin appointed him as director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor of the KGB.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since then he never had to turn back.</p>

<p>But it was Yeltsin's perceived vodka-drinking aloofness that paved the way for Putin's emergence on top.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 1999, when he appointed Putin as Prime Minister, the young spymaster was quick to win the support of presidential aides. When Yeltsin stepped down, Putin was an obvious choice to lead the big but weak Russia of 1999 which was feeling threatened by an expanding US-led military alliance: the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or NATO.</p>

<p>After briefly serving as acting president, in 2000, Putin began his first term as president after the country's presidential elections.</p>

<p>As Russian president, Putin went to London on his first visit abroad when former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was the occupant of 10, Downing Street.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I believe that Vladimir Putin is a leader who is ready to embrace a new relationship with the European Union and the United States, who wants a strong and modern Russia and a strong relationship with the West," Blair said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During Putin's initial years as president, Russian ties with the West remained cordial. He supported the US' war on terror in response to the 9/11 attacks. But two years later, in 2003, Putin was one of those world leaders who did not buy into Washington's 'weapons of mass destruction' (WMDs) reasoning to invade Iraq.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This was also a period when Russia, under Putin was rebuilding its economy. In 2004, just a year into the Iraq invasion, NATO expanded further to the east, this time taking the three Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, all sharing borders with Russia — and four others in Eastern Europe into its fold.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/putins-actions-in-ukraine-do-not-make-indians-anti-russia-heres-why-613578">Putin's actions in Ukraine do not make Indians anti-Russia. Here's why</a></strong></p>

<p>On February 24, 2022, while declaring war on Ukraine, Putin described NATO's expansion in Europe towards Russian borders as "fundamental threats against our country that year after year, step by step, are offensively and unceremoniously created by irresponsible politicians in the West."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-warns-nato-against-inclusion-of-finland-sweden-440093">Russia warns NATO against inclusion of Finland, Sweden</a></strong></p>

<p>“I am referring to the expansion of NATO to the east, moving its military infrastructure closer to Russian borders. It is well known that for 30 years we have persistently and patiently tried to reach an agreement with the leading NATO countries on the principles of equal and inviolable security in Europe," Putin said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin's goal of annexing all of Ukraine is far from complete. But despite the crippling nature of Western sanctions, by promoting manufacturing at home, sourcing the imports from 'friendly' countries, and gradually decreasing the discounts on oil exports, Putin has managed to keep the Russian economy afloat.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Putin wins another term as Russian President in a landslide victory</strong></p>

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<p>On March 17, he won a fifth tenure as Russian president. Viktor Borisenko's best friend from that Leningrad school has now learned the art of self-preservation. In the class of world leaders, he may still not be the strongest of all. But he has picked up a fight — in Ukraine, with the collective West — on Russia's behalf. The question is not whether will he win that fight or not.</p>

<p>The larger threat for Putin's foes remains the extreme steps he could take — such as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-war-putin-says-russia-is-ready-to-use-nuclear-weapons-699843">potentially pushing the nuclear button</a> — to ensure his winnability in this fight.&nbsp;</p>


On a cold day in the autumn of 1952, Vladimir Putin was born at Maternity Hospital No. 6, locally known as Snegiryov hospital, five minutes' walk from his parents' home on Baskov Lane in Leningrad.

On a cold day in the autumn of 1952, Vladimir Putin was born at Maternity Hospital No. 6, locally known as Snegiryov hospital, five minutes' walk from his parents' home on Baskov Lane in Leningrad. The hospital, founded in 1771 by Empress Catherine the Great, was the oldest in the Soviet Union and "reputedly the best in Leningrad", writes Phillip Short in Putin's biography, Putin: His Life and Times. Twelve years after Catherine the Great founded the hospital where Putin was born, her forces captured present-day Crimea from the Ottomans. By 1783, Catherine had successfully concluded Crimea's annexation. Putin was to follow the great Russian empress' footsteps 231 years later in a completely different world whose semblance of stability depends on rules-based international order. In February 2014, as Russian president, he launched an invasion of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea was annexed completely by the end of March 2014. The lasting evolution of Putin's statesmanly legacy is now seen through the lens of the events of February-March, 2014 when the Russian forces annexed Crimea. The invasion of Ukraine six years later in 2022 further complicated his leadership credentials with attributes of militaristic authoritarianism dominating the hue of democracy that Putin claims to be drawing credibility from. At 71, Putin has won a fifth presidential tenure in Moscow's corridors of power, surpassing Josef Stalin. By the time he completes his tenure in 2030, he will become the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great herself. Vladimir Putin: The child 'who could get into a fight with anyone' Decades after Leningrad became St. Petersburg following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Putin wrote that he had been a hooligan as a child. Historian Dmitry Travin, who also grew up in Leningrad in the 1960s, recounted: "It wasn't so much that conflicts sought him out, it was he who was looking for conflicts. Whenever a fight broke out, Putin was first to pile in." Viktor Borisenko, who became Putin's "best friend at school" and for four years shared a desk with him, told Philip Short: "He could get into a fight with anyone. It still amazes me... He had no fear. He didn't seem to have an inner instinct for self-preservation. It never occurred to him that the other boy was stronger and might beat him up... If some hulking guy offended him, he would jump at him, scratch him, bite him, pull out clumps of his hair... He wasn't the strongest in our class, but in a fight he could beat anyone, because he would get into a fight with anyone." Vladimir Putin: From Intelligence Tsar to President As the product of the Class of 1975 of Leningrad State University, Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB (Committee for State Security). A year before the Soviet Union's collapse, in 1990, Putin retired as Lieutenant Colonel. In the new Russia, he wore a politician's hat. In 1994, he became the Deputy Mayor of Saint Petersburg. Two years later, in 1996, Putin moved to Moscow to join the Kremlin as an administrator. In 1998, President Boris Yeltsin appointed him as director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor of the KGB. Since then he never had to turn back. But it was Yeltsin's perceived vodka-drinking aloofness that paved the way for Putin's emergence on top. In 1999, when he appointed Putin as Prime Minister, the young spymaster was quick to win the support of presidential aides. When Yeltsin stepped down, Putin was an obvious choice to lead the big but weak Russia of 1999 which was feeling threatened by an expanding US-led military alliance: the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or NATO. After briefly serving as acting president, in 2000, Putin began his first term as president after the country's presidential elections. As Russian president, Putin went to London on his first visit abroad when former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was the occupant of 10, Downing Street. "I believe that Vladimir Putin is a leader who is ready to embrace a new relationship with the European Union and the United States, who wants a strong and modern Russia and a strong relationship with the West," Blair said. During Putin's initial years as president, Russian ties with the West remained cordial. He supported the US' war on terror in response to the 9/11 attacks. But two years later, in 2003, Putin was one of those world leaders who did not buy into Washington's 'weapons of mass destruction' (WMDs) reasoning to invade Iraq. This was also a period when Russia, under Putin was rebuilding its economy. In 2004, just a year into the Iraq invasion, NATO expanded further to the east, this time taking the three Baltic countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, all sharing borders with Russia — and four others in Eastern Europe into its fold. Also read | Putin's actions in Ukraine do not make Indians anti-Russia. Here's why On February 24, 2022, while declaring war on Ukraine, Putin described NATO's expansion in Europe towards Russian borders as "fundamental threats against our country that year after year, step by step, are offensively and unceremoniously created by irresponsible politicians in the West." Also read | Russia warns NATO against inclusion of Finland, Sweden “I am referring to the expansion of NATO to the east, moving its military infrastructure closer to Russian borders. It is well known that for 30 years we have persistently and patiently tried to reach an agreement with the leading NATO countries on the principles of equal and inviolable security in Europe," Putin said. Over two years into the war in Ukraine, Putin's goal of annexing all of Ukraine is far from complete. But despite the crippling nature of Western sanctions, by promoting manufacturing at home, sourcing the imports from 'friendly' countries, and gradually decreasing the discounts on oil exports, Putin has managed to keep the Russian economy afloat. Also watch | Putin wins another term as Russian President in a landslide victory × On March 17, he won a fifth tenure as Russian president. Viktor Borisenko's best friend from that Leningrad school has now learned the art of self-preservation. In the class of world leaders, he may still not be the strongest of all. But he has picked up a fight — in Ukraine, with the collective West — on Russia's behalf. The question is not whether will he win that fight or not. The larger threat for Putin's foes remains the extreme steps he could take — such as potentially pushing the nuclear button — to ensure his winnability in this fight.

Vladimir Putin: From Soviet fight-picking child to Russia's reigning president

For the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Vladimir Putinfaced the Russian public and media in a year-end news conference and telephone call-in. The marathon session, which saw him take questions from soldiers, journalists and members of the public, ended after four hours.

Russian president Vladimir Putin's re-election pitch

Russian President conveyed his desire to run for president again. Putin told soldiers who had fought in Ukraine that he will run again in the 2024 election. After Putin awarded Ukraine, war veterans, with Russia's highest military honour.The Hero of Russia's gold star, a lieutenant colonel named Artyom Zhoga asked Putin to run again for President. On this, Putin told the soldier that he would run again in the 2024 election

Russian President Putin to run for presidential elections again in 2024

<p>Russia's prison service said Thursday that jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny was in "satisfactory" condition after allies reported his health was deteriorating in one of the country's most notorious prisons.</p>

<p>The prison service told Russian news agencies that medics had carried out a check on Navalny on Wednesday and that "according to the results of the examination, his state of health was assessed as stable and satisfactory".</p>

<p>Navalny's allies had earlier raised an alarm over his health, and said they had been concerned by a deterioration in his health.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His lawyers added they had not been allowed to visit him in prison, demanding immediate access, saying he had complained of back pain and leg numbness.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alexei-navalnys-health-deteriorating-in-prison-claim-his-lawyers-372939"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Alexei Navalny's health deteriorating in prison, claim his lawyers</strong></a></p>

<p>Navalny was arrested in January on his return to Russia from Germany where he had been recovering from exposure to the Soviet-designed nerve toxin Novichok. He was later jailed in February for two-and-a-half years on old embezzlement charges in a move his allies said was a pretext to silence his criticism of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.</p>

<p>He is serving his sentence outside Moscow in a penal colony notorious for harsh discipline.</p>

<p>Western countries have slapped sanctions on Russia for jailing Navalny and also for orchestrating a poisoning attack against him last year.</p>

<p>Navalny's allies this week launched a campaign seeking his release and announced plans to stage what they said would be "modern Russia's biggest protest."</p>


Russia's prison service said Thursday that jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny was in "satisfactory" condition after allies reported his health was deteriorating in one of the country's most notorious prisons.

Russia's prison service said Thursday that jailed opposition figure Alexei Navalny was in "satisfactory" condition after allies reported his health was deteriorating in one of the country's most notorious prisons. The prison service told Russian news agencies that medics had carried out a check on Navalny on Wednesday and that "according to the results of the examination, his state of health was assessed as stable and satisfactory". Navalny's allies had earlier raised an alarm over his health, and said they had been concerned by a deterioration in his health. His lawyers added they had not been allowed to visit him in prison, demanding immediate access, saying he had complained of back pain and leg numbness. Also read | Alexei Navalny's health deteriorating in prison, claim his lawyers Navalny was arrested in January on his return to Russia from Germany where he had been recovering from exposure to the Soviet-designed nerve toxin Novichok. He was later jailed in February for two-and-a-half years on old embezzlement charges in a move his allies said was a pretext to silence his criticism of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He is serving his sentence outside Moscow in a penal colony notorious for harsh discipline. Western countries have slapped sanctions on Russia for jailing Navalny and also for orchestrating a poisoning attack against him last year. Navalny's allies this week launched a campaign seeking his release and announced plans to stage what they said would be "modern Russia's biggest protest."

Russia's prison service says Navalny's health 'satisfactory'

Russia's capital on Sunday was more reminiscent of a besieged fortress than a modern city.

Brutal clamp down of protesters by Russian police; Watch video

Police were going to cafes in civilian clothes, showing their ID cards and asking to speak with managers about turning off internet connections ahead of the protests

Siberia: Russians join fresh protests in support of kremlin critic Alexei Navalny

<p>Russian police briefly detained Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, at a protest in Moscow on Saturday, she wrote on her Instagram from inside a police van.&nbsp;She was later released.</p>

<p>Navalny's wife&nbsp;was one of the many&nbsp;people that the police detained Saturday at rallies across Russia in his support following his call to protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule.</p>

<p>The OVD-Info monitoring group said, earlier in the day, that 1,090 people were detained at protests in dozens of Russian cities. A few media reports said the count was to the tune of 2,000.</p>

<p>Police&nbsp;also detained Lyubov Sobol, a close ally of Navalny's, at the rally.&nbsp;He later said&nbsp;the opposition would hold more protests next weekend to demand Navalny's release.</p>

<p>Yulia wrote on her Instagram in Russian -- which meant:&nbsp;"Sorry for the poor quality. Very bad light in the paddy wagon" -- with an accompanying photo.</p>

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<p>In the Russian capital, which usually mobilises the largest rallies, protesters planned to meet on the central Pushkin Square at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) and march towards the Kremlin. But more than an hour before the planned rally police began detaining people.</p>

<p>Putin's fiercest critic put out the mass rally call after surviving a near-fatal poisoning with a Novichok nerve agent and returning to Moscow last weekend following months of treatment in Germany. He was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport and jailed.</p>

<p>Protests were held early Saturday in the Far East, Siberia and the Urals including Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk and Chita where several thousand turned out, Navalny supporters said.</p>

<p>Saturday's rallies are expected to be a major test of the opposition's ability to mobilise despite increasing Kremlin pressure on critics and the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>Ahead of the demonstrations, Navalny's team released a video investigation into an opulent Black Sea property allegedly owned by Putin who has been in power for 20 years. The two-hour report has been viewed more than 66 million times.</p>

<p>In Vladivostok, demonstrators gathered in the city centre, chanting "Putin is a thief" and "Freedom to Navalny!"</p>

<p>Navalny, who is being held in Moscow's high-security Matrosskaya Tishina jail, thanked his supporters on the eve of the rallies.</p>

<p>"I know perfectly well that there are lots of good people outside of my prison's walls and help will come," he said Friday.</p>

<p>Navalny's wife Yulia said she would join the Moscow protest,&nbsp;"For myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share".</p>

<p>Ahead of the demonstrations several key Navalny aides including his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh were taken into police custody for violating protest laws and handed short jail sentences.</p>

<p>The Investigative Committee on Friday launched a criminal probe into the calls for unauthorised protests.</p>

<p>A hastily organised court on Monday jailed Navalny for 30 days, and his supporters fear that authorities are preparing to sentence him to a long prison term to silence him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Navalny, 44, rose to prominence a decade ago and has become the central figure of Russia's opposition movement, leading large-scale street protests against corruption and electoral fraud.&nbsp;His arrest drew widespread Western condemnation, with the United States and the European Union calling for his release.</p>

<p>The "Putin's palace" report released by Navalny alleges the Russian leader owns a 17,691 square metre mansion that sits on a property 39 times the size of Monaco.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Kremlin has denied the property belongs to Putin.</p>


Russian police briefly detained Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, at a protest in Moscow on Saturday, she wrote on her Instagram from inside a police van.

Russian police briefly detained Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, at a protest in Moscow on Saturday, she wrote on her Instagram from inside a police van. She was later released. Navalny's wife was one of the many people that the police detained Saturday at rallies across Russia in his support following his call to protest against President Vladimir Putin's rule. The OVD-Info monitoring group said, earlier in the day, that 1,090 people were detained at protests in dozens of Russian cities. A few media reports said the count was to the tune of 2,000. Police also detained Lyubov Sobol, a close ally of Navalny's, at the rally. He later said the opposition would hold more protests next weekend to demand Navalny's release. Yulia wrote on her Instagram in Russian -- which meant: "Sorry for the poor quality. Very bad light in the paddy wagon" -- with an accompanying photo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @yulia_navalnaya × In the Russian capital, which usually mobilises the largest rallies, protesters planned to meet on the central Pushkin Square at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) and march towards the Kremlin. But more than an hour before the planned rally police began detaining people. Putin's fiercest critic put out the mass rally call after surviving a near-fatal poisoning with a Novichok nerve agent and returning to Moscow last weekend following months of treatment in Germany. He was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport and jailed. Protests were held early Saturday in the Far East, Siberia and the Urals including Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk and Chita where several thousand turned out, Navalny supporters said. Saturday's rallies are expected to be a major test of the opposition's ability to mobilise despite increasing Kremlin pressure on critics and the coronavirus pandemic. Ahead of the demonstrations, Navalny's team released a video investigation into an opulent Black Sea property allegedly owned by Putin who has been in power for 20 years. The two-hour report has been viewed more than 66 million times. In Vladivostok, demonstrators gathered in the city centre, chanting "Putin is a thief" and "Freedom to Navalny!" Navalny, who is being held in Moscow's high-security Matrosskaya Tishina jail, thanked his supporters on the eve of the rallies. "I know perfectly well that there are lots of good people outside of my prison's walls and help will come," he said Friday. Navalny's wife Yulia said she would join the Moscow protest, "For myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share". Ahead of the demonstrations several key Navalny aides including his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh were taken into police custody for violating protest laws and handed short jail sentences. The Investigative Committee on Friday launched a criminal probe into the calls for unauthorised protests. A hastily organised court on Monday jailed Navalny for 30 days, and his supporters fear that authorities are preparing to sentence him to a long prison term to silence him. Navalny, 44, rose to prominence a decade ago and has become the central figure of Russia's opposition movement, leading large-scale street protests against corruption and electoral fraud. His arrest drew widespread Western condemnation, with the United States and the European Union calling for his release. The "Putin's palace" report released by Navalny alleges the Russian leader owns a 17,691 square metre mansion that sits on a property 39 times the size of Monaco. The Kremlin has denied the property belongs to Putin.

Navalny's wife among nearly 2,000 people detained in Russia at rallies

The Russian President also called for all the citizens to get vaccinated against coronavirus. He also added that Russia needed time to increase capacity for vaccine production.

'Will get COVID vaccine when possible for my age group': Vladimir Putin

The agents of the Kremlin tried to poison outspoken Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny a second time after the first attempt failed

Navalny poisoning: Putin critic survived the second assassination attempt

Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed in its first reading a bill that would grant former presidents immunity once they leave office.

Russia's lower house of parliament approves bill to give Putin lifetime immunity

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin may quit from his post in January amid fears he has Parkinson's disease, sources have claimed.</p>

<p>Putin’s 37-year-old girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, and his two daughters are pushing him to leave office, a report in The Daily Mail quoted Moscow political scientist Valery Solovei as saying.</p>

<p>Solovei claimed that Putin may be suffering from Parkinson’s as the president has been seen recently exhibiting symptoms of the disease.</p>

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<p>Recent footage of Putin's legs moving around as he gripped onto the armrest of a chair; a twitching pen in the former KGB operative's fingers; and a cup filled with painkillers had raised eyebrows.</p>

<p>This is not the first time that people have speculated that Putin may be suffering from Parkinson's disease.</p>

<p>The speculation comes amid Russian lawmakers considering legislation proposed that would grant ex-presidents lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution.</p>

<p>According to New York Post, Solovei said Putin would soon appoint a new prime minister who would be groomed to become his eventual successor.</p>

<p>The president’s staff, however, has played down rumours on Putin’s plan to step down.</p>


Russian President Vladimir Putin may quit from his post in January amid fears he has Parkinson's disease, sources have claimed. Putin’s 37-year-old girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, and his two daughters are pushing him to leave office, a report in The Daily Mail quoted Moscow political scientist Valery Solovei as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin may quit from his post in January amid fears he has Parkinson's disease, sources have claimed. Putin’s 37-year-old girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, and his two daughters are pushing him to leave office, a report in The Daily Mail quoted Moscow political scientist Valery Solovei as saying. Solovei claimed that Putin may be suffering from Parkinson’s as the president has been seen recently exhibiting symptoms of the disease. × Recent footage of Putin's legs moving around as he gripped onto the armrest of a chair; a twitching pen in the former KGB operative's fingers; and a cup filled with painkillers had raised eyebrows. This is not the first time that people have speculated that Putin may be suffering from Parkinson's disease. The speculation comes amid Russian lawmakers considering legislation proposed that would grant ex-presidents lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution. According to New York Post, Solovei said Putin would soon appoint a new prime minister who would be groomed to become his eventual successor. The president’s staff, however, has played down rumours on Putin’s plan to step down.

Putin may quit as Russia's president amid fears he has Parkinson's disease, sources claim

<p>Russia has&nbsp;submitted a bill to the parliament that can grant ex-presidents'immunity from criminal prosecution could be extended to any offences committed in their lifetimes, not merely while in office.</p>

<p>The bill is one of several being introduced following constitutional reforms that, among other things, allow President Vladimir Putin to run again when his term ends in 2024.</p>

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<p>The draft legislation is being carefully parsed for clues as to what Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for more than two decades, plans to do in 2024.</p>

<p>Former presidents already enjoy lifetime immunity for crimes committed in the office under legislation adopted after Russia's first post-Soviet president, Boris Yeltsin, handed the reins of power to Putin at the turn of the century.</p>

<p>The new bill would also make it harder to revoke ex-presidents' expanded immunity.</p>

<p>It would require the upper house of parliament to vote overwhelmingly to revoke it on the strength of accusations by the lower house that the president had committed treason or another serious crime.</p>

<p>The bill will become law if the lower house votes to approve it in three readings, the upper house backs it, and Putin then signs it.</p>


Russia has submitted a bill to the parliament that can grant ex-presidents'immunity from criminal prosecution could be extended to any offences committed in their lifetimes, not merely while in office.

Russia has submitted a bill to the parliament that can grant ex-presidents'immunity from criminal prosecution could be extended to any offences committed in their lifetimes, not merely while in office. The bill is one of several being introduced following constitutional reforms that, among other things, allow President Vladimir Putin to run again when his term ends in 2024. The draft legislation is being carefully parsed for clues as to what Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for more than two decades, plans to do in 2024. Former presidents already enjoy lifetime immunity for crimes committed in the office under legislation adopted after Russia's first post-Soviet president, Boris Yeltsin, handed the reins of power to Putin at the turn of the century. The new bill would also make it harder to revoke ex-presidents' expanded immunity. It would require the upper house of parliament to vote overwhelmingly to revoke it on the strength of accusations by the lower house that the president had committed treason or another serious crime. The bill will become law if the lower house votes to approve it in three readings, the upper house backs it, and Putin then signs it.

Russia submits bill to grant ex-presidents immunity from prosecution

Finally, Russia's President Vladimir Putin breaks silence over the US Presidential Election. Putin sends mixed signs on the elections. Watch this video to know more.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin breaks silence over the US Presidential Election

In an effort to fight Vladimir Putin’s electoral machine, Navalny and his team have urged Russians to vote tactically by backing the strongest candidates

Regional Election in Russia: Pro-Kremlin party set to claim victory

Russia's far-east is seething in anger over the arrest of a regional governor. Protests have erupted in Moscow too. A former journalist has been jailed for treason.

Gravitas: Putin's Throne Shakes As Protests Break Out

Russian President Vladimir Putin is protected from the novel coronavirus by a special disinfection tunnel that anyone visiting his residence outside Moscow must pass through. Watch report.

Disinfectant tunnel set up to protect Vladamir Putin from Coronavirus

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed the package of constitutional reforms he had proposed, including a clause giving him an option to run for two more terms.</p>

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<p>The Kremlin has published the 68-page law spelling out the constitutional reforms on the official website. Putin's signature triggers a special procedure for the package, which differs from the way laws usually go into effect.</p>

<p>The reforms will be sent to the Russian Constitutional Court which has a week to rule on whether to approve the law, which would reset Putin's constitutional limit on terms in power.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: </strong></p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/wion-edit-vladimir-putin-may-remain-president-for-life-285897"><strong>WION Edit: Vladimir Putin may remain President for life</strong></a></p>

<p>The law will then be voted on by the Russian public.</p>

<p>The Kremlin has named April 22 as the day of the vote, and Russia's Senate Speaker Valentina Matvienko on Saturday told journalists that the voting "must take place despite various worries about coronavirus."</p>

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<p>Some speculated in recent weeks that the Kremlin will initiate voting over the internet, which the opposition has slammed as a sure way to falsify the result.</p>

<p>Putin, 67, stunned the country on Tuesday when he backed a last-minute proposal to add a condition to the reform package for his possible return to the Kremlin after 2024 when he is constitutionally required to step down.</p>

<p>The measure, added on the day when the State Duma lower house was voting for the reforms, was swiftly passed and the bill subsequently sailed through the upper house and regional parliaments.</p>

<p>The Russian leader had proposed to change the constitution in January, but until this week denied that he is seeking to extend his rule. His spokesman said Putin changed his mind due to global instability.</p>

<p>The amendments also change the balance of power, increasing the role of the State Council advisory body, and giving both parliament and the president additional instruments of authority.</p>


Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed the package of constitutional reforms he had proposed, including a clause giving him an option to run for two more terms.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed the package of constitutional reforms he had proposed, including a clause giving him an option to run for two more terms. Also read: Pentagon 'wishes to reconsider' awarding JEDI contract to Microsoft The Kremlin has published the 68-page law spelling out the constitutional reforms on the official website. Putin's signature triggers a special procedure for the package, which differs from the way laws usually go into effect. The reforms will be sent to the Russian Constitutional Court which has a week to rule on whether to approve the law, which would reset Putin's constitutional limit on terms in power. Also read: WION Edit: Vladimir Putin may remain President for life The law will then be voted on by the Russian public. The Kremlin has named April 22 as the day of the vote, and Russia's Senate Speaker Valentina Matvienko on Saturday told journalists that the voting "must take place despite various worries about coronavirus." × Some speculated in recent weeks that the Kremlin will initiate voting over the internet, which the opposition has slammed as a sure way to falsify the result. Putin, 67, stunned the country on Tuesday when he backed a last-minute proposal to add a condition to the reform package for his possible return to the Kremlin after 2024 when he is constitutionally required to step down. The measure, added on the day when the State Duma lower house was voting for the reforms, was swiftly passed and the bill subsequently sailed through the upper house and regional parliaments. The Russian leader had proposed to change the constitution in January, but until this week denied that he is seeking to extend his rule. His spokesman said Putin changed his mind due to global instability. The amendments also change the balance of power, increasing the role of the State Council advisory body, and giving both parliament and the president additional instruments of authority.

Vladimir Putin signs Russia's constitutional reform law

<p>From frustration with corruption and poverty to Moscow&#39;s showdown with the West, Russians shared their concerns as they voted in Sunday`s presidential election that is set to extend President Vladimir Putin`s Kremlin term to 2024.</p>

<p>&quot;I am for Putin. There is no alternative to him,&quot; said Valentina Popova, a 77-year-old Moscow retiree.</p>

<p>&quot;I respect him for his foreign policies, otherwise Russia would perish. There`s a lot that needs to be done inside the country.&quot;</p>

<p>Natalya Kononova, 41, senior cashier, 41, Moscow: &quot;I am for Putin. We trust him. And voting is my civic duty.&quot;</p>

<p>Iraida Korablina, 67, Moscow: &quot;I am for Putin. The foreign policies are correct although inside the country a camarilla is calling the shots.&quot;</p>

<p>Sergei Inshakov, 37, part-time taxi driver and former professional handball player from Moscow: &quot;We don`t need changes now. Putin needs to finish what he started.&quot;</p>

<p>Sergei Yakovlev, 47, Saint Petersburg: &quot;I am not expecting anything good. I voted for Grudinin, but it`s clear that it`ll be Putin. He has no programme of action, things keep getting worse. He will keep sitting on oil reserves without changing anything until everything ultimately disintegrates in every area.&quot;</p>

<p>Antonina Kurchatova, 40, Saint Petersburg: &quot;I voted Putin. But with a different feeling unlike before. Right now I hoping that things just don`t get worse. I very much like his foreign policies, he`s doing everything right, but as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible. I am eagerly awaiting constructive economic measures and a change of government.&quot;</p>

<p>Lilia Kartashova, 70, Saint Petersburg: &quot;Only Putin. I am expecting only good things. Remember what kind of country he took over from Eltsin - ruin, no one respected us and now? He is doing everything right. Only the government needs to be kicked out - especially Medvedev. What kind of prime minister is he? He is a laughingstock.&quot;</p>


Since taking power 18 years ago, Putin has stamped his total authority on the country, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad

From frustration with corruption and poverty to Moscow's showdown with the West, Russians shared their concerns as they voted in Sunday`s presidential election that is set to extend President Vladimir Putin`s Kremlin term to 2024. "I am for Putin. There is no alternative to him," said Valentina Popova, a 77-year-old Moscow retiree. "I respect him for his foreign policies, otherwise Russia would perish. There`s a lot that needs to be done inside the country." Natalya Kononova, 41, senior cashier, 41, Moscow: "I am for Putin. We trust him. And voting is my civic duty." Iraida Korablina, 67, Moscow: "I am for Putin. The foreign policies are correct although inside the country a camarilla is calling the shots." Sergei Inshakov, 37, part-time taxi driver and former professional handball player from Moscow: "We don`t need changes now. Putin needs to finish what he started." Sergei Yakovlev, 47, Saint Petersburg: "I am not expecting anything good. I voted for Grudinin, but it`s clear that it`ll be Putin. He has no programme of action, things keep getting worse. He will keep sitting on oil reserves without changing anything until everything ultimately disintegrates in every area." Antonina Kurchatova, 40, Saint Petersburg: "I voted Putin. But with a different feeling unlike before. Right now I hoping that things just don`t get worse. I very much like his foreign policies, he`s doing everything right, but as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible. I am eagerly awaiting constructive economic measures and a change of government." Lilia Kartashova, 70, Saint Petersburg: "Only Putin. I am expecting only good things. Remember what kind of country he took over from Eltsin - ruin, no one respected us and now? He is doing everything right. Only the government needs to be kicked out - especially Medvedev. What kind of prime minister is he? He is a laughingstock."

Russian voters share concerns in predictable Russian poll

<p>Russians voted in a presidential election on Sunday set to give <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin a runaway victory</a>, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable.</p>

<p>Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power &mdash; a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728" target="_blank"><strong>In Pics: Vladimir Putin &mdash; A brief profile of the Russian president</strong></a></p>

<p>Putin`s opponents alleged officials were trying to inflate the turnout.</p>

<p>Many voters credit Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB spy, with standing up for Russia`s interests in a hostile outside world, even though the cost is a confrontation with the West.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank"><b>Also read:&nbsp;10 key dates in Vladimir Putin&#39;s political journey</b></a></p>

<p>A row with Britain over allegations the Kremlin used a nerve toxin to poison a Russian double agent in a sleepy English town &mdash; denied by Moscow &mdash; has not dented his standing.</p>

<p>The majority of voters see no viable alternative to Putin: he has total dominance of the political scene and the state-run television, where most people get their news, gives lavish coverage of Putin and little airtime to his rivals.</p>

<p>Galina Zhukova, a pensioner, came to polling station number 1512 in Zelenodolsk, about 800 km (500 miles) east of Moscow, with her husband, Alexei. They arrived soon after the doors opened.</p>

<p>&quot;We voted for Putin. Things are all right for us,&quot; said Alexei. &quot;And there`s no one else to vote for,&quot; said Galina.</p>

<p>A day of voting across Russia`s 11 time zones began at 2000 GMT on Saturday on Russia`s eastern edge, in the Pacific coast city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.</p>

<p>There, voters were handed small plastic flags with the slogan: &quot;I love Kamchatka. We are the first.&quot;</p>

<p>Voting will run until polls close at the westernmost point of Russia, the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea, at 1800 GMT on Sunday.</p>

<p><strong>SHOO-IN CONTEST</strong></p>

<p>A March 9 survey by state-run pollster VTsIOM gave Putin, who was first elected president in 2000, support of 69 per cent. His nearest rival Pavel Grudinin, the Communist Party`s candidate, is on just 7 per cent.</p>

<p>The first politician in years to challenge the Kremlin`s grip on power, Alexei Navalny, is barred from the race because of a corruption conviction he says was fabricated by the Kremlin.</p>

<p>He is calling for a boycott of the election, saying it is an undemocratic farce, and deploying supporters to collect evidence of anyone rigging the ballot to inflate turnout and support for Putin. The Kremlin and election officials say any fraud will be stamped out.</p>

<p>In an address to the nation broadcast on national television on Friday, Putin said voters held the fate of the country in their hands and urged them to vote.</p>

<p>A low turnout would diminish Putin`s authority in his next term, which, under the constitution, has to be his last.</p>

<p>&quot;There is no intrigue. I do not see any point for me in going to the election,&quot; said Alexei Khvorostov, a resident of Krasnodar, in southern Russia.</p>

<p>Yevgeny Roizman, a Kremlin opponent who is mayor of the industrial city of Yekaterinburg, said officials were using bribes and inducements to persuade people to vote.</p>

<p>&quot;They`re herding the whole country to the polling stations,&quot; Roizman, a rare example of an elected official opposed to the Kremlin, said in a video blog. &quot;It`s degrading... We`re not sheep.&quot;</p>

<p>In the Khabarovsk region, on Russia`s Pacific coast, officials delivered supplies of eggs, tinned peas and frozen pike to polling stations. It will be sold to voters at a discount of between 10 and 30 per cent compared to prices in local shops.</p>

<p>&quot;By doing this we hope to attract voters to the polling stations and we think we can increase turnout,&quot; said Nikolai Kretsu, chairman of the consumer market committee in the regional administration.</p>

<p>&quot;The second objective is to strengthen allegiance towards the authorities.&quot;</p>


Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger.

Russians voted in a presidential election on Sunday set to give Vladimir Putin a runaway victory, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable. Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power — a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. In Pics: Vladimir Putin — A brief profile of the Russian president Putin`s opponents alleged officials were trying to inflate the turnout. Many voters credit Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB spy, with standing up for Russia`s interests in a hostile outside world, even though the cost is a confrontation with the West. Also read: 10 key dates in Vladimir Putin's political journey A row with Britain over allegations the Kremlin used a nerve toxin to poison a Russian double agent in a sleepy English town — denied by Moscow — has not dented his standing. The majority of voters see no viable alternative to Putin: he has total dominance of the political scene and the state-run television, where most people get their news, gives lavish coverage of Putin and little airtime to his rivals. Galina Zhukova, a pensioner, came to polling station number 1512 in Zelenodolsk, about 800 km (500 miles) east of Moscow, with her husband, Alexei. They arrived soon after the doors opened. "We voted for Putin. Things are all right for us," said Alexei. "And there`s no one else to vote for," said Galina. A day of voting across Russia`s 11 time zones began at 2000 GMT on Saturday on Russia`s eastern edge, in the Pacific coast city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There, voters were handed small plastic flags with the slogan: "I love Kamchatka. We are the first." Voting will run until polls close at the westernmost point of Russia, the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea, at 1800 GMT on Sunday. SHOO-IN CONTEST A March 9 survey by state-run pollster VTsIOM gave Putin, who was first elected president in 2000, support of 69 per cent. His nearest rival Pavel Grudinin, the Communist Party`s candidate, is on just 7 per cent. The first politician in years to challenge the Kremlin`s grip on power, Alexei Navalny, is barred from the race because of a corruption conviction he says was fabricated by the Kremlin. He is calling for a boycott of the election, saying it is an undemocratic farce, and deploying supporters to collect evidence of anyone rigging the ballot to inflate turnout and support for Putin. The Kremlin and election officials say any fraud will be stamped out. In an address to the nation broadcast on national television on Friday, Putin said voters held the fate of the country in their hands and urged them to vote. A low turnout would diminish Putin`s authority in his next term, which, under the constitution, has to be his last. "There is no intrigue. I do not see any point for me in going to the election," said Alexei Khvorostov, a resident of Krasnodar, in southern Russia. Yevgeny Roizman, a Kremlin opponent who is mayor of the industrial city of Yekaterinburg, said officials were using bribes and inducements to persuade people to vote. "They`re herding the whole country to the polling stations," Roizman, a rare example of an elected official opposed to the Kremlin, said in a video blog. "It`s degrading... We`re not sheep." In the Khabarovsk region, on Russia`s Pacific coast, officials delivered supplies of eggs, tinned peas and frozen pike to polling stations. It will be sold to voters at a discount of between 10 and 30 per cent compared to prices in local shops. "By doing this we hope to attract voters to the polling stations and we think we can increase turnout," said Nikolai Kretsu, chairman of the consumer market committee in the regional administration. "The second objective is to strengthen allegiance towards the authorities."

Vladimir Putin on track for commanding win as Russians head to polls

<p>Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia&rsquo;s president: what will he do when it ends?&nbsp;</p>

<p>Putin&rsquo;s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain.</p>

<p>The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate &mdash; as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms.</p>

<p>His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,&rdquo; said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country&rsquo;s leadership.&ldquo;Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union&rsquo;s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This is a risky moment for the system,&rdquo; said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania&rsquo;s Kaunas University of Technology.</p>

<p>Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life.</p>

<p>Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin&rsquo;s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity.</p>

<p>Russia&rsquo;s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines &mdash; between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests.</p>

<p>Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky.</p>

<p><strong>PUTIN FOREVER</strong></p>

<p>Putin is so entrenched within Russia&rsquo;s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin&rsquo;s next term ends.</p>

<p>&ldquo;There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It&rsquo;s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,&rdquo; said a source in a government ministry.</p>

<p>If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits.</p>

<p>Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin&rsquo;s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev&rsquo;s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then.</p>

<p>Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev&rsquo;s ratings are much lower than Putin&rsquo;s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Only Medvedev,&rdquo; a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.&ldquo;Everyone is afraid of change.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>FATIGUE</strong></p>

<p>Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return &mdash; the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev&rsquo;s presidency.</p>

<p>One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials&rsquo; incompetence and bureaucratic sloth.</p>

<p>During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union.</p>

<p>He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades.</p>

<p>To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite.</p>

<p>Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin&rsquo;s thinking.</p>

<p>The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite.</p>

<p>Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him.</p>

<p>Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin&rsquo;s riskiest path.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,&rdquo; said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.&ldquo;How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>


The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms

Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia’s president: what will he do when it ends? Putin’s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain. The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms. His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check. “The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,” said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country’s leadership.“Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.” Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union’s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high. “This is a risky moment for the system,” said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania’s Kaunas University of Technology. Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life. Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin. Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin’s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity. Russia’s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines — between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests. Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky. PUTIN FOREVER Putin is so entrenched within Russia’s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin’s next term ends. “There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It’s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,” said a source in a government ministry. If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures. All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power. If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits. Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin’s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev’s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then. Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev’s ratings are much lower than Putin’s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin. “Only Medvedev,” a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.“Everyone is afraid of change.” FATIGUE Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin. He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return — the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev’s presidency. One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials’ incompetence and bureaucratic sloth. During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:“I don’t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.” Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union. He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades. To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite. Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin’s thinking. The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite. Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him. Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin’s riskiest path. “The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.“How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?”

Vladimir Putin has Russia guessing before election: How long will he hold on to power?

<p>President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview that he &quot;couldn&#39;t care less&quot; if fellow Russian citizens sought to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, insisting such efforts could not be tied to the Kremlin.</p>

<p>&quot;Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this?&quot; Putin asked in the often-combative interview with NBC television released yesterday.</p>

<p>Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign colluded with Moscow to help elect him.</p>

<p>Last month Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies for allegedly backing Trump&#39;s campaign, maligning his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and engaging in other election interference.<br />
&quot;So what if they&#39;re Russians?&quot; Putin said of the allegations.</p>

<p>&quot;There are 146 million Russians. So what?... I don&#39;t care. I couldn&#39;t care less... They do not represent the interests of the Russian state.&quot;</p>

<p>Mueller issued a 37-page indictment against the Russians but Putin indicated he has seen no evidence thus far that the alleged meddling broke any US law.</p>

<p>&quot;Are we the ones who imposed sanctions on the United States? The US imposed sanctions on us,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;We in Russia cannot prosecute anyone as long as they have not violated Russian law... At least send us a piece of paper... Give us a document. Give us an official request. And we&#39;ll take a look at it.&quot;</p>

<p>America&#39;s leading intelligence agencies concluded last year that Putin himself had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the US election to undermine Clinton&#39;s campaign and boost Trump&#39;s chances, but Trump has repeatedly denied colluding with Moscow.</p>

<p>The Russian leader also rejected those assessments.</p>

<p>&quot;Could anyone really believe that Russia, thousands of miles away... Influenced the outcome of the election? Doesn&#39;t that sound ridiculous even to you?&quot; Putin asked.</p>

<p>Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, when he announced the Russian indictment, said it made no judgment on whether the alleged Russian propaganda campaign altered the outcome of the election which Trump won.<br />
&quot;It&#39;s not our goal to interfere. We do not see what goal we would accomplish by interfering. There&#39;s no goal,&quot; Putin said.</p>

<p>Trump himself has repeatedly shied away from condemning Russia over the alleged meddling.</p>

<p>US intelligence chiefs last month said Russian attempts to meddle in US politics are continuing unabated -- and pose a threat to mid-term congressional elections in November.&nbsp;</p>


He insisted that such efforts could not be tied to the Kremlin

President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview that he "couldn't care less" if fellow Russian citizens sought to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, insisting such efforts could not be tied to the Kremlin. "Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this?" Putin asked in the often-combative interview with NBC television released yesterday. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow to help elect him. Last month Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies for allegedly backing Trump's campaign, maligning his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and engaging in other election interference. "So what if they're Russians?" Putin said of the allegations. "There are 146 million Russians. So what?... I don't care. I couldn't care less... They do not represent the interests of the Russian state." Mueller issued a 37-page indictment against the Russians but Putin indicated he has seen no evidence thus far that the alleged meddling broke any US law. "Are we the ones who imposed sanctions on the United States? The US imposed sanctions on us," he said. "We in Russia cannot prosecute anyone as long as they have not violated Russian law... At least send us a piece of paper... Give us a document. Give us an official request. And we'll take a look at it." America's leading intelligence agencies concluded last year that Putin himself had directed a broad intelligence effort to influence the US election to undermine Clinton's campaign and boost Trump's chances, but Trump has repeatedly denied colluding with Moscow. The Russian leader also rejected those assessments. "Could anyone really believe that Russia, thousands of miles away... Influenced the outcome of the election? Doesn't that sound ridiculous even to you?" Putin asked. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, when he announced the Russian indictment, said it made no judgment on whether the alleged Russian propaganda campaign altered the outcome of the election which Trump won. "It's not our goal to interfere. We do not see what goal we would accomplish by interfering. There's no goal," Putin said. Trump himself has repeatedly shied away from condemning Russia over the alleged meddling. US intelligence chiefs last month said Russian attempts to meddle in US politics are continuing unabated -- and pose a threat to mid-term congressional elections in November.

Russia President Putin 'couldn't care less' about US election interference

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin, 65, stripped off to his bathing trunks and immersed himself in the freezing waters of a lake late on Thursday, observing an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany.</p>

<p>Russian state television showed Putin marching onto the ice of frozen Lake Seliger, about 400 km (250 miles) north of Moscow, dressed in a sheepskin coat and felt boots.</p>

<p>With his coat and boots removed, he then walked down a set of wooden steps into a hole in the ice, crossed himself, and dipped his head under the water before surfacing.</p>

<p>Air temperatures at the time were around six degrees Celsius below zero (21 degrees Fahrenheit).</p>

<p>Each year on Epiphany, Orthodox believers immerse themselves in rivers and lakes to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.</p>

<p>Putin, who is campaigning for re-election in a March 18 presidential election, grew up under Communist rule where open shows of religion were frowned upon. As president, he has become a frequent attender of Russian Orthodox ceremonies, and has given the church a major voice in society.</p>

<p>The Russian leader&nbsp;has a track record of stripping to the waist in public to reveal his torso.</p>

<p>In August last year he was photographed with his shirt off catching fish in a mountain lake in Siberia and in August 2009, a bare-chested Putin was pictured riding a horse during a Siberian holiday.</p>


Air temperatures at the time were around six degrees Celsius below zero.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 65, stripped off to his bathing trunks and immersed himself in the freezing waters of a lake late on Thursday, observing an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany. Russian state television showed Putin marching onto the ice of frozen Lake Seliger, about 400 km (250 miles) north of Moscow, dressed in a sheepskin coat and felt boots. With his coat and boots removed, he then walked down a set of wooden steps into a hole in the ice, crossed himself, and dipped his head under the water before surfacing. Air temperatures at the time were around six degrees Celsius below zero (21 degrees Fahrenheit). Each year on Epiphany, Orthodox believers immerse themselves in rivers and lakes to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan. Putin, who is campaigning for re-election in a March 18 presidential election, grew up under Communist rule where open shows of religion were frowned upon. As president, he has become a frequent attender of Russian Orthodox ceremonies, and has given the church a major voice in society. The Russian leader has a track record of stripping to the waist in public to reveal his torso. In August last year he was photographed with his shirt off catching fish in a mountain lake in Siberia and in August 2009, a bare-chested Putin was pictured riding a horse during a Siberian holiday.

Putin takes dip in icy lake to mark Orthodox Epiphany

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would seek a new term in office as an independent candidate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia goes to the polls in March.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Putin added that he was hoping for support from more than one party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reuters reported Putin, 65, as telling an annual news conference that Russia&#39;s political system must be competitive but that the opposition lacked a strong candidate to challenge him because his opponents, while creating a lot of noise, had very little to offer the nation.</p>


He said he was hoping for support from more than one party

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he would seek a new term in office as an independent candidate. Russia goes to the polls in March. Putin added that he was hoping for support from more than one party. Reuters reported Putin, 65, as telling an annual news conference that Russia's political system must be competitive but that the opposition lacked a strong candidate to challenge him because his opponents, while creating a lot of noise, had very little to offer the nation.

Putin says will seek new term, as independent candidate

<p>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a second day of talks on Friday after Abe made little headway a day earlier in his quest to resolve a territorial row that has festered since World War II.</p>

<p>Putin looked set to come away with a slew of economic deals and achieve what experts said was a key goal - easing his international isolation when Moscow is under fire over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where Russia is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s forces.</p>

<p>&quot;Abe must be bitterly disappointed,&quot; said James Brown, a professor at Temple University&#39;s Japan campus.</p>

<p>&quot;Putin has given away absolutely nothing and, in return, he has received the offer of enhanced economic cooperation. Just as valuably, he has demonstrated divisions in G-7 (Group of Seven) policy on Russia and has encouraged Japan to distance itself from US&nbsp;policy,&quot; Brown added.</p>

<p>Japan and Russia agreed on day one of the summit, held at a hot spring resort in south-west Japan, to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on the disputed islands, a row over which has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II.</p>

<p>The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II.</p>

<p>Day two of the summit will be held in Tokyo.</p>

<p>Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands on Friday, adding such activity would be based on Russian legislation.</p>

<p>A Japanese spokesman, however, reiterated Japan&#39;s policy that any joint economic activity should not infringe on Tokyo&#39;s legal stance, underscoring a remaining gap.</p>

<p>Abe has hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia&#39;s economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for progress.</p>

<p>Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute, in hopes of leaving a diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China.</p>

<p>Putin, however, does not want to tarnish his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty.</p>

<p>Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed, but has recently been rethinking that stance.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a second day of talks on Friday after Abe made little headway a day earlier in his quest to resolve a territorial row that has festered since World War II. Putin looked set to come away with a slew of economic deals and achieve what experts said was a key goal - easing his international isolation when Moscow is under fire over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where Russia is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. "Abe must be bitterly disappointed," said James Brown, a professor at Temple University's Japan campus. "Putin has given away absolutely nothing and, in return, he has received the offer of enhanced economic cooperation. Just as valuably, he has demonstrated divisions in G-7 (Group of Seven) policy on Russia and has encouraged Japan to distance itself from US policy," Brown added. Japan and Russia agreed on day one of the summit, held at a hot spring resort in south-west Japan, to revive security talks and start discussing economic cooperation on the disputed islands, a row over which has kept them from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II. The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II. Day two of the summit will be held in Tokyo. Kremlin economic aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides would issue a statement about possible joint economic activity on the disputed islands on Friday, adding such activity would be based on Russian legislation. A Japanese spokesman, however, reiterated Japan's policy that any joint economic activity should not infringe on Tokyo's legal stance, underscoring a remaining gap. Abe has hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia's economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for progress. Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute, in hopes of leaving a diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China. Putin, however, does not want to tarnish his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty. Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed, but has recently been rethinking that stance. (Reuters)

Abe, Putin head into day two of summit with little to show on isles row

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