Russian President Vladimir Putin won the country’s presidential election by a landslide on Sunday.
This re-election victory continues Putin’s position of leadership over the country for six more years.

Putin’s Road to Re-Election

There wasn’t ever much doubt that Putin would be able to remain in his presidential position following this election. He has already been a leader in the country for 17 years with the title of either president or prime minister. Now, he will be president for another 6 years. The next election will be in 2024 at which point he will be 72 years old.
Putin is a former KGB officer. He ran as an independent on a platform of standing up for the country, particularly in the face of Western governments. He has positioned himself as the “father of the nation,” as opposed to being merely a politician.

Length of Time in Power

Among the leaders in the country, Putin will hold the title of having the second longest time in power. By the time this term is over, he will have been president or prime minister for almost a quarter of a century. This will mean that the only person who will have been leader longer than Putin is Josef Stalin.
His campaign was only bolstered by the coverage he received over mainstream television, which did little aside from singing his praises. He campaigned as the only person able to keep Russia’s national interests safe and strong in a time of global hostility.

Putin’s Future Plans for Russia

Among the first declarations Putin made following his victory of nearly 77 percent of the vote, was that he was not interested in entering into an arms race. The re-elected president’s confidence was strengthened with is strongest electoral support to date. It has driven him to stand up to the West and bring Russia back into a more powerful position on the global stage.
“We have no intention of engaging in some kind of arms race,” said Putin in a meeting at the Kremlin with the seven individuals who ran against him for the presidency. “Just the opposite, we will seek to develop constructive relations with other countries. We will do all we can to solve all disputes with our partners using political and diplomatic means.”
This came on the heels of a campaign peppered with increasing tensions reminiscent of the Cold War. This included Putin’s statements about nuclear capabilities and accusations from Great Britain that a former Russian double agent had been poisoned with a nerve agent.