Internet calls Putin's win in Russian elections 'predictable' as he secures fifth term as president

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Vladimir Putin won the Russian presidential election for the third time, after a three-day election that was held from March 15 to 17.

Voters participated in the election across 11 different time zones, but there were no credible opponents to the incumbent, BBC reports. 

Vladimir Putin's landslide victory

Preliminary results released by Russia’s Central Election Commission showed Putin leading with 87.3 per cent of the votes, CNN reports.  As a result of this win, Putin is set to remain in power till 2030, securing a third full decade of his rule. He would be 77 by the time his term expires and will be counted as the longest-serving Russian leader since Soviet's Joseph Stalin.

Putin said in his victory speech that the election “consolidated” national unity, as Russia faced “many tasks ahead” in its confrontation with the West.

“No matter how hard anyone tries to frighten us, whoever tries to suppress us, our will, our consciousness, no one has ever managed to have done such a thing in history, and it won’t happen now and it won’t happen in the future. Never,” he said.

Vladimir Putin calls Alexei Navalny's death a 'sad event'

Putin spoke of Navalny, his fierce critic who died in an Arctic prison, in public for the first time in years. He confirmed discussing a potential prisoner swap involving Navalny, which his allies had long claimed.

“As for Mr Navalny – yes, he passed away. It is always a sad event. And there were other cases when people in prisons passed away. Didn’t this happen in the United States? It did, and not once,” stated Putin.

Just days before Navalny's death, Putin claimed that he was told of a proposal to exchange him for prisoners held in Western countries.

“The person who spoke to me had not finished his sentence yet when I said I agree. But, unfortunately, what happened (Navalny’s death) happened. There was only one condition that we will exchange him for him not to come back. Let him sit there. Well, such things happen. There’s nothing you can do about it, that’s life.”

Internet reacts to Vladimir Putin's victory

Social media users called Vladimir Putin's win in elections a 'very predictable outcome" and some said that there's no one contesting against the long-standong Russian leader. 

"Putin is the most loved leader in the world, he has the highest approval rating of any leader / The West just lies to you and makes it out that he is hated," wrote a user on X.

"He has successfully eliminated all his rivals, so no one is contesting against him," pointed out another.

"That was a very predictable outcome," stated a third.

"Democracy in action," chided a fourth.

"It’s necessary he finishes the job at hand," commented a fifth.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.