After securing a fifth term in leadership during Russia’s presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin shared his thoughts publicly for the first time in years about the passing of his political adversary, Alexei Navalny. Putin’s victory was marked by a significant margin, with exit polls indicating he received 87% of the votes. This news came in as votes were still being counted early Monday, including those from Russian citizens living abroad. The turnout for this election was reported to be an impressive 77%, a notable increase from the 67.7% recorded in 2018, according to the head of Russia’s electoral commission.
Putin’s win was seen in an election that many described as highly orchestrated. His three competitors, all from within Russia’s “systemic” opposition, each managed to secure only about 3-4% of the vote. The election excluded anti-war candidates and saw many opposition figures either in exile, imprisoned, or deceased, including Navalny who died in a penal colony in the Russian Arctic.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement in Navalny’s death, attributing it to “natural causes,” despite accusations from Navalny’s family and supporters that Putin was behind it. During a press conference at his campaign headquarters, Putin appeared relaxed and optimistic, promising to continue strengthening Russia. He also took this opportunity to speak about Navalny, marking the first time in years he had publicly mentioned his name.
Putin described Navalny’s death as a “sad event” and revealed that there had been discussions about including Navalny in a prisoner swap with the West just days before his death. Despite agreeing to the proposal under the condition that Navalny would not return to Russia, Putin lamented that “such things happen” and emphasized the unpredictability of life.
Navalny’s supporters had previously disclosed that there were advanced talks for a prisoner exchange involving Navalny with Russian and Western officials, which were nearing completion shortly before his unexpected death.
Putin’s reluctance to mention Navalny by name in the past was well-known, with him often referring to Navalny in indirect terms. However, his recent acknowledgment of Navalny by name marks a significant change. Russian media, following Putin’s lead, had largely omitted Navalny from their coverage, often referring to him merely as a “blogger.”
Putin’s long tenure has been characterized by the suppression of opposition, with many opponents facing harassment, imprisonment, or unexplained deaths. This pattern has rendered Putin’s reelections somewhat predictable, with the 2024 victory being no exception. Putin’s administration aimed for a decisive win to endorse his foreign policy actions, especially concerning Ukraine.
Putin, addressing his supporters and the media, underscored the importance of unity in the face of intimidation and suppression, asserting that such tactics have never succeeded against Russia.
The pro-Kremlin media celebrated Putin’s victory as historic, projecting that by the end of his next term, Putin will have surpassed Soviet leader Josef Stalin in terms of tenure. However, international observers from the U.S., U.K., and Ukraine criticized the election as being “neither free nor fair.”
In a show of dissent, thousands of Russians living abroad participated in voting at embassies, with many heeding the call from Navalny’s widow to either spoil their votes or vote for anyone but Putin, in a protest dubbed “noon against Putin.”