Categories: World

Putin secures 5th term as Russian president in election with no real opposition, addresses Navalny death

close Video

Vladimir Putin set to win 5th term, extend rule until 2030

Fox News’ Stephanie Bennett reports on the 2024 Russian presidential election on ‘Fox News Live.’

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided. Having trouble? Click here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin secured a fifth term in office on Monday, winning an election that featured no real opposition.

Putin walked away with 87% of the vote, according to Russia’s election commission. He celebrated his victory over the smattering of token opposition candidates early on Monday, saying it was proof of the Russian people’s “trust” in him.

“Of course, we have lots of tasks ahead. But I want to make it clear for everyone: When we were consolidated, no one has ever managed to frighten us, to suppress our will and our self-conscience. They failed in the past and they will fail in the future,” Putin said after polls closed.

Putin’s regime has been widely successful in stomping out opposition voices amid its invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Navalny, the activist widely seen as the most credible opponent to Putin, died in a Russian prison last month.

PUTIN PLANS FOR NEXT 6-YEAR TERM AS RUSSIANS VOTE IN ‘NEITHER FREE NOR FAIR ELECTIONS’

Russian President Vladimir Putin secured a fifth term in office on Monday, winning an election that featured no real opposition. (Sergei SAVOSTYANOV / POOL / AFP )

Putin, 71, has already lead Russia for nearly 25 years, and now he has secured another 6-year term.

Russia’s election commission reported that Putin won over 76 million votes, setting a new record.

14 KILLED IN RUSSIAN MISSILE ATTACK ON SOUTHERN UKRAINE’S ODESA

The win was widely met with disdain in the West, if it was acknowledged at all. President Biden has yet to make a comment on the election.

Putin’s regime has been widely successful in stomping out opposition voices amid its invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Navalny, the activist widely seen as the most credible opponent to Putin, died in a Russian prison last month. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron dismissed Putin in a statement on X.

“This is not what free and fair elections look like,” he wrote.

RUSSIAN FORCES COERCE THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIANS INTO ACCEPTING RUSSIAN PASSPORTS

There were some protesters outside polling stations and Russian embassies across the globe on Sunday, the final day of the election. Allies of Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, called for the gatherings. Yulia said she wrote in her late husband’s name on the ballot she cast via the Russian embassy in Berlin.

Putin’s victory was widely met with disdain in the West, if it was acknowledged at all. President Biden has yet to make a comment on the election. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Putin commented on Navalny’s death for the first time on Monday, saying he had supported a plan to release him in a prisoner exchange that was to take place just days after he died.

“It happens. There is nothing you can do about it. It’s life,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In comments following his victory, Putin attempted to turn the conversation toward U.S. election issues. He decried the criminal cases stacked up against former President Trump, saying “the whole world is laughing” at the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

Share

Recent Posts

Waymo under federal investigation after child struck

Federal safety regulators are once again taking a hard look at self-driving cars after a…

8 hours ago

How tech is being used in Nancy Guthrie disappearance investigation

Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing from…

12 hours ago

149 million passwords exposed in massive credential leak

It has been a rough start to the year for password security. A massive database…

1 day ago

Your phone shares data at night: Here’s how to stop it

If your smartphone stays on your bedside table overnight, it stays busy long after you…

2 days ago

Artificial Intelligence helps fuel new energy sources

Artificial Intelligence and data centers have been blamed for rising electricity costs across the U.S.…

2 days ago

Super Bowl scams surge in February and target your data

The Super Bowl is not only the biggest sporting event of the year, but it…

2 days ago