Putin sends message to West as he is sworn in for fifth term as Russian president
Putin sends message to West as he is sworn in for fifth term as Russian president.jpg
Vladimir Putin sent a message to the West during his inauguration ceremony on Tuesday 7 May.
He began his fifth term as Russia’s president at a glittering ceremony inside the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace and placed his hand on the Russian constitution, vowing to defend it as a crowd of hand-picked dignitaries looked on.
“We do not refuse dialogue with Western countries. The choice is theirs,” Mr Putin stated.
Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin, his new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again.
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