Russian President, Vladimir Putin has cemented his grip on power in a landslide election victory that has been widely criticised as lacking democratic legitimacy.
In a post-election news conference from his campaign headquarters early on Monday morning, Putin cast the outcome as a vindication of his decision to defy the West and invade Ukraine.
According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, he had some 87 percent of the vote with about 60 percent of precincts counted. The result means Putin, 71, will overtake Joseph Stalin and becomes Russia’s longest-serving leader in more than 200 years.
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