Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, took the oath of office for a fifth term.
Putin was sworn in at a formal ceremony held at the Kremlin.
In March, Putin emerged victorious in a closely monitored poll that saw the exclusion of two anti-war contenders due to technicalities.
A month prior, the most well-known opponent of Putin, Alexei Navalny, unexpectedly passed away in an Arctic prison colony; other prominent opponents are either imprisoned or have been forced to escape overseas.
Since the year 2000, the 71-year-old has ruled Russia. In March, he won presidential elections with no opposition and was re-elected for a six-year term.
Putin controlled the political environment at home, but he is at odds with western countries over the conflict in Ukraine.
After taking the oath of office, Putin informed the Russian elite that he was not going to stop talking to the West but that it would have to decide for itself how to interact with his nation.
He stated that discussions about strategic nuclear stability may take place with the West, but only on an equal footing.
“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, we will bring to life everything we have planned. Together, we will be victorious,” Putin said.
The inauguration ceremony on Tuesday was not attended by the United States, which declared that it did not think his reelection was free and fair.
While other European Union countries, including Britain and Canada, chose to abstain from the swearing-in, France declared it would send an ambassador.
