'Lifetime Rule' Path Opened by Putin, Secures 5th Term with 87% Vote Share... Concerns Over Prolonged Ukraine War

Putin's Overwhelming Victory Likely to Intensify Conflict with the West and Worsen the Ukraine War

Russian President Vladimir Putin has virtually secured a fifth term by winning the 2024 Russian presidential election with an overwhelming 87% support, paving the way for lifelong rule. With President Putin's landslide victory, concerns are growing that he will continue to confront the West and prolong the war in Ukraine.

On the 17th (local time), major foreign media outlets reported, citing exit polls from Russian state TV, that President Putin led the race with the highest vote share of 87% among four candidates.

If this vote share is confirmed, it will be the highest ever in Russian presidential election history. The previous record was the 77% vote share President Putin himself achieved in the 2018 election. The other three candidates in this election each received less than 5% support.

The Russian presidential election was held over three days from the 15th to today. Although vote counting is still underway, President Putin's victory is considered certain. This marks another win following his victories in 2000, 2004, 2012, and 2018, allowing him to remain in power for another six years until 2030. This effectively opens the path to lifelong rule.

According to the Russian Central Election Commission, voter turnout in this election reached 74%, surpassing the previous record high of 67.5% in 2018. In six regions of Russia, voter turnout exceeded 90%.

Despite the prolonged war in Ukraine lasting over two years, President Putin's landslide victory in the election is seen as reaffirming the war's justification based on public support. It is anticipated that he will strengthen confrontation with the West, which condemns the invasion of Ukraine, and may continue the war for an extended period.

Pavel Danalin, chief analyst at the Moscow Political Analysis Center, said, "This election result gives Putin every opportunity to implement even the most difficult scenarios in Ukraine," adding, "The historically high (support rate) shows that the vast majority of the people support Putin."