Russia's Putin sworn in for new six-year term

Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for another six-year term in office on Tuesday, after a March landslide victory that outside observers say was heavily manipulated.

The 71-year-old has quashed all forms of opposition and dissent since gaining power as either president or prime minister at the turn of the millennium.

What happened at the inauguration?

Putin took the oath of office in a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, with senior Russian politicians and other guests in attendance.

Speaking inside the gilded Saint Andrew's Hall, he addressed a tough period for the Russian nation, which now holds pariah status in the West over its invasion of Ukraine. 

"We will pass through this difficult period with dignity and become even stronger," Putin said at his inauguration ceremony.

"We are a united and great nation, and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize everything we have planned, and together, we will win."

Putin said Russia was open to developing relations with other countries that he described as "the world's majority." Meanwhile, he said, the Russian state had to prove resistant to any threats and challenges.

"Serving Russia is a huge honor, responsibility, and sacred duty," he added.

Longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin

Putin has effectively held office for nearly a quarter of a century and is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin. 

Barred by the now-altered constitution from running for a third consecutive term, Putin was appointed prime minister in 2008 by President Dmitry Medvedev, who had served as Putin's premier.

The arrangement, described at the time using the chess term "castling," effectively left Putin in charge as Russia's political leader until he was re-elected president in 2012.

If still in power when his new term expires in 2030, Putin would have been in power longer than any Russian leader since Catherine the Great in the eighteenth century. He would still be constitutionally eligible to run for another six years.

During his time in office, Putin has sought to rebuild Russian power and domination over neighboring countries — particularly those that were part of the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, exiled Russian opposition leader Yulia Navalnaya called on supporters of her late husband Alexei Navalny to keep up their opposition to Putin. In a video on the day of his inauguration, Navalnaya described the Russian leader as "a liar, a thief, and a murderer."

rc/wmr (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)