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| Russian president Vladimir Putin has been in power since 1999 (AFP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko) |
Moscow
(AFP) - Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia's president for a fourth term on
Monday, extending his almost two-decade rule by another six years at a time of
high tension with his Western rivals.
The
65-year-old, in power since 1999, is on course to become the longest-serving
Russian leader since Joseph Stalin after his victory in March elections.
Putin won
nearly 77 percent of the vote in polls in which his most vocal opponent, Alexei
Navalny, was banned from running.
He has
promised to use his fourth term to revitalise the economy. But he also faces a
host of thorny international disputes.
"I
consider it my duty and my life's aim to do everything possible for Russia, for
its present and for its future," Putin said at Monday's swearing-in
ceremony, with his hand on the Russian constitution.
US
President Donald Trump congratulated the Kremlin strongman, with White House
press secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters in Washington that Trump
"looks forward to a time when we can hopefully have a good relationship
with Russia.
"However,
the United States believes that everyone has a right to be heard and assemble
peacefully," she said.
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Putin said
he was conscious of the 'colossal responsibility' of leading Russia
(AFP
Photo/Alexey NIKOLSKY)
|
Several
thousand guests lined the red carpet in Moscow and filmed Putin on their
smartphones as he arrived for the ceremony in the ornate Andreyev Hall, part of
the Kremlin palace complex.
Among them
were US action star Steven Seagal, who has taken Russian citizenship, as well
as former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Naina Yeltsina, the widow of
Putin's late predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
Putin was
driven to the inauguration in a black Russian-made limousine -- a change from
previous ceremonies when he used a German Mercedes.
"I
feel strongly conscious of my colossal responsibility," he said, thanking
Russians for their "sincere support" and "cohesiveness".
"We
have revived pride in our fatherland," Putin said. "As head of state
I will do all I can to multiply the strength, prosperity and fame of
Russia."
Shortly
after the ceremony, Putin asked parliament to back a new mandate for outgoing
prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, his longtime ally.
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The
European Union accused Russian police of brutality and mass arrests in
cracking
down on anti-Putin protests (AFP Photo/Maxim ZMEYEV)
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Crackdown
on opposition
Navalny on
Monday reposted a 2017 video into the prime minister's alleged wealth that led
to nationwide protests last year.
On
Saturday, nearly 1,600 protesters including Navalny were detained during
nationwide rallies against Putin under the slogan "Not Our Tsar".
The
opposition figure, who was barred from challenging Putin in the March election,
has been released pending a court hearing.
The unrest
revived memories of 2012, when authorities cracked down on rallies against
Putin's return to the Kremlin after a stint as prime minister.
Strained
ties with West
Russia's
ties with the West have been strained by Putin's annexation of Crimea from
Ukraine and his military campaign in Syria in support of longtime Russian ally
President Bashar al-Assad.
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Vladimir
Putin's last term was marked by his interventions in Ukraine and
Syria (AFP
Photo/Vincent LEFAI)
|
In recent
months relations have soured further over accusations of the poisoning of an
ex-spy in Britain and of election meddling in the United States.
"For
Putin any concession is a sign of weakness, so there shouldn't be any
expectation of a change in foreign policy," said Konstantin Kalachev, the
head of the Political Expert Group think tank in Moscow.
The
constitution bars Putin from running again when his fourth term ends in 2024.
But he has remained silent on the issue of his succession.
Economic
woes
Putin has
promised to use his fourth term to improve Russians' standard of living.
"People
will live better," he said.
Hours after
the inauguration ceremony, Putin issued a decree setting targets for his next
six years in power. These included halving Russia's poverty rate, increasing
pensions and boosting the average life expectancy to 78 by 2024.
A new poll
by Russia's independent Levada Center found that while the majority of Russians
support Putin's foreign policy, the main complaints are over the economy.
The survey
showed 45 percent of Russians believe Putin has been unable to achieve a
"fair distribution" of state revenues to benefit ordinary people.
Russian
businesses are expecting wide-ranging reforms to the government's heavily
bureaucratised system.
According
to statistics published in the RBC newspaper on Monday, the number of
bureaucrats during Putin's third term rose by 50 percent, from 1.57 million to
2.17 million.
Putin has
struggled to revive an economy that was hit hard by the Western sanctions over
Crimea and a fall in global oil prices.
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