Putin makes World War-3 remark, reacts to Macron's Ukraine ceasefire proposal in victory speech: Top points

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed an unprecedented fifth term in office on Sunday (March 17) as the incumbent leader claimed about 88 per cent of total votes polled. Addressing his supporters at his campaign office in Moscow, Putin reacted to French President Emmanuel Macron's comment that he will push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during Paris Olympics later this summer.

Putin indicated that he was ready for talks but added that he would need to take Russia's interests on the frontline into account.

"I want to thank all of you and all citizens of the country for your support and this trust," Putin said while addressing the Russian voters.

"No matter who or how much they want to intimidate us, no matter who or how much they want to suppress us, our will, our consciousness - no one has ever succeeded in anything like this in history.

"It has not worked now and will not work in the future. Never."

Putin slammed America's political and judicial systems while responding to the US calling the elections in Russia "not free and fair".

"This (US) is just a catastrophe, not a democracy – that's what it is," Putin said.

In an apparent reference to the multiple court cases against DonaldTrump, Putin said, "Is it democratic to use administrative resources to attack one of the candidates for the presidency of the United States, using the judiciary, among other things?"

Also watch |Putin claims landslide victory in Russian Presidential polls, secures historic six year-term

Putin specifically praised the Russian military for their service to protect the"so-called new, but in fact historic territories", a reference to the Donbas region now administered by Russia

'Everything is possible': Putin on potential conflict with NATO

Putin claimed he was securing the border from recent raids by pro-Ukrainian military units and said that his main tasks as president would be "strengthening defence capacity and the military".

Asked about the potential for a direct conflict with NATO, he said: "I think that everything is possible in the modern world … everyone understands that this would be one step from a full-scale third world war. I don’t think that anyone is interested in that."

(With inputs from agencies)