The UK and US boycotted an opulent Kremlin ceremony today where Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term as Russian leader amidst heightened security amid the war in Ukraine
Putin declares ‘we will win’ during inauguration speech
Vladimir Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president today and gave a chilling 10 word threat to the West.
Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin’s new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he is constitutionally eligible to run for another six years.
Images showed Putin being sworn in a stunning gold-gilded former throne room of the Russian Tsars in the Kremlin. He promised to uphold the “rights of Russians” and the “security and integrity of the state”.
Putin threatened: “The destiny of Russia will be determined by ourselves only.” While he also stated: “I will do everything possible, everything within my abilities to justify your trust.” He added: “We are a single and great nation and together we will overcome all obstacles and implement and realise everything that we dream of. Together we will win.”
He once again referred to the Ukraine invasion as a special military operation and thanked the people fighting for Russia while also saying: “I see the deep understanding of our historic role to defend our choice, to defend our freedom, and to defend the national interests of Russia. We will go through this difficult time and will be successful”
Britain’s ambassador to Moscow boycotted the inauguration in protest at the dictator’s “unprovoked, premeditated, and barbaric attack” on Ukraine, while the US will also not be represented at the event.
“The UK will not field a representative at the inauguration of President Vladimir Putin,” said a spokesman for the Foreign Office. This was due to “Russia ’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated, and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK condemns the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.”
On Monday, ambassador Nigel Casey was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, according to Russian reports. He was issued with a “strong protest” over Lord Cameron’s comments indicating British long range missiles could be used by Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory. Britain had become “a party to the conflict”, Mr Casey was told.
This was a “serious escalation and confirmation of London’s increasing involvement in military operations on the side of Kyiv”. Russia also warned that it could use tactical nuclear weapons to defend its territory, and is staging drills imminently. A paranoid Putin ordered a massive security clampdown for the inauguration. Heavy duty electronic jammers were installed in central Moscow to protect the Kremlin from Ukrainian kamikaze drone attacks.
It comes as Russia has lost another £40 million Su-34 bomber on a combat mission. Highly experienced Su-34 crew Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Strelkov died when the plane came down, according to reports. The Fighterbomber Telegram channel said: “The best crew of the best perished on this plane.” It reported that “they died in battle, they died as warriors.” The plane came down over Russia’s Belgorod border region. The Su-34 was from the 47th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 105th Mixed Aviation Division of the Russian Aerospace Forces at Baltimore air base in Voronezh region.
Several Russian reports blamed “engine failure” for the loss, but Fighterbomber – seen as reliable – said troops were lost in battle without explaining how. The crew of “aircraft number 21” evidently did not have time to eject. There was no initial claim from Ukraine as to how the plane – used to carry out precise missile and bomb strikes against ground targets of the enemy – got into trouble. The Su-34 has wreaked havoc by dropping deadly “glide bombs” on Ukraine in recent weeks.
Putin has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a pariah state that threatens global security. Following the 2022 invasion of 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, Iran and North Korea for support.
The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of another six years, both at home and abroad. Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched-earth tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition. Both sides are taking heavy casualties.
Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to fulfil Moscow’s goals in Ukraine, and do what is needed to “defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens.” Shortly after his orchestrated re-election in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and he declared he wanted to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.
At home, Putin’s popularity is closely tied to improving living standards for ordinary Russians. He began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five global economies, vowing it should be “modern and dynamic.” Instead, Russia’s economy has pivoted to a war footing, and authorities are spending record amounts on defence.
Analysts say now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and pressure more men to join the military. At the start of a new term, the Russian government is routinely dissolved so that Putin can name a new prime minister and Cabinet.
One key area to watch is the Defence Ministry. Last year, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu came under pressure over his conduct of the war, with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launching withering criticism against him for shortages of ammunition for his private contractors fighting in Ukraine. Prigozhin’s brief uprising in June against the Defence Ministry represented the biggest threat to Putin’s rule.
After Prigozhin was killed two months later in a mysterious plane crash, Shoigu appeared to have survived the infighting. But last month, his protégé, Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov, was detained on charges of bribery amid reports of rampant corruption. Some analysts have suggested Shoigu could become a victim of the government reshuffle but that would be a bold move as the war is still raging in Ukraine.
In the years following the invasion, authorities have cracked down on any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times. There is no sign that this repression will ease in Putin’s new term. His greatest political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been imprisoned or have fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear for their security. Laws have been enacted that threaten long prison terms for anyone who discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don’t hew to what Putin has emphasized as Russia’s “traditional family values.”
