Three years of reporting, funded by our readers — become a member now and help us prepare for 2025.
Goal: 1,000 new members for our birthday. Gift a membership to your friend and help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Become a member Gift membership
Skip to content
Edit post

Putin announces he will seek 5th term as president

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk December 8, 2023 2:46 PM 2 min read
Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 27, 2023. (Mikhail Metzel/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 8 that he would participate in the upcoming presidential elections in March, seeking his 5th term in office, Russian state-run news agencies reported.

Putin made the widely expected announcement at the Kremlin as he gave awards to soldiers who fought in Russia's war against Ukraine.

Russia's upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council, voted on Dec. 7 to set the date for the presidential elections on March 17 next year.

Putin has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999. Constitutional changes signed by the Russian leader in 2021 allowed Putin to run for two more six-year terms, meaning he can potentially stay in power until 2036.

It is unclear if other candidates will nominally participate, but Putin's victory is all but assured. Freedom House, a nonprofit advocating international democracy, gave Russia a 0/4 score in its 2022 report card on political freedoms in the country.

"Russia has never experienced a democratic transfer of power between rival groups," described Freedom House. Any meaningful opposition is prevented from having a fair chance at winning elections, creating "an authoritarian political system (that) is concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin."

Russian authorities also use politically motivated charges against opposition figures to prevent a serious challenge to the regime, as they did with Alexei Navalny during the 2018 presidential election.

Putin's popularity has soared since the start of the full-scale invasion, and a poll by the Russian Levada Center from July showed that 68% of Russians want the current president to be re-elected.

Ukraine war latest: Republicans block aid to Ukraine, Kirby says funds to run out before New Year
Key developments on Dec. 7: * Senate GOP blocks Ukraine funding bill from advancing * Study: Aid for Ukraine drops to lowest level since January 2022 * White House announces plans to strengthen defense cooperation with Ukraine * Reuters: Ukraine requests US air defense systems, fighter jets *…
Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.
It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
Become a member Gift membership
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

6:15 AM  (Updated: )

Russian drone strike in Mykolaiv kills 5, injures 1.

Four people were killed and one 45-year-old woman was hospitalized following the attack, Governor Vitalii Kim said. Search and rescue operations have reportedly been completed.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.