Enemies Largely Vanquished, Putin Begins His 5th Term

Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine, and concentrating all power in his hands. Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin's new term doesn't expire until 2030, when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again. At the ceremony inside the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace, the AP reports that Putin placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a crowd of hand-picked dignitaries looked on. The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of another six years, both at home and abroad:

• Ukraine: Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched-earth tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition. Both sides are taking heavy casualties. Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscow's goals in Ukraine, and do what is needed to "defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens."
• NATO: Shortly after his orchestrated reelection in March, Putin suggested a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and declared he wanted to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.

• At home: Putin's popularity is closely tied to improving living standards for ordinary Russians. He began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five global economies, vowing it should be "modern and dynamic." Instead, Russia's economy has pivoted to a war footing, and authorities are spending record amounts on defense. Now that Putin has secured another six years, the government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and pressure more men to join the military.
• Adversaries: Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and dissident Alexei Navalny both died in mysterious circumstances, and authorities have cracked down on any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times. Other prominent critics have either been imprisoned or have fled the country. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don't hew to what Putin has emphasized as Russia's "traditional family values."

(More Vladimir Putin stories.)