Vladimir Putin set to begin fifth term as devastating war with Ukraine continues
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated for a fifth term on Tuesday.
Approaching nearly a quarter-century in power, Vladimir Putin will place his hand on a copy of the constitution on Tuesday and start another six-year term as president, maintaining his extraordinary authority.
Following the 2022 operation in Ukraine that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning other regimes like China and North Korea for support.
The question now is what Putin will do over the course of another six years, both at home and abroad.
On April 17, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution calling on member states to “not recognise Vladimir Putin as president of the Russian Federation” and to “cease all contacts with him” except for humanitarian ones. Similar demands have already been made by representatives of the Russian opposition in exile, including Yulia Navalny.
While this text has no direct consequences, several Western countries have announced that their representatives will not attend the May 7 inauguration.
According to Radio Liberty, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, the UK and Canada have joined the outright refusal to attend the ceremony, with Germany recalling its ambassador for consultations following Moscow’s accusations of hacking attacks on the SPD in January 2023. The diplomat will reportedly stay in Berlin for a week.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, did not disclose the list of foreign guests in the Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, RIA Novosti reported.
Over the past few weeks, Russia has been intensifying its offensive against Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region, while Kyiv is experiencing a shortage of men and ammunition. At the same time, the shelling of Russian border regions by drones and missiles has continued.
Analysts say the Kremlin aims to ‘please’ the domestic Z-public and capture Chasov Yar in time for Victory Day on May 9.
The Russian president is expected to renew the government at the beginning of his next term: under the constitution, the cabinet resigns after inauguration.
Putin can both reappoint current technocrat Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and key government members including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, in the Duma and make new appointments to continue the militarisation of the Russian economy.
Experts believe that now that Putin has six more years in power, the government may take unpopular steps: raising taxes to finance the war and sending more men into the army.