West largely boycotts Putin’s inauguration ceremony due to war
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with his election campaign confidants at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 20, 2024.
Evgenia Novozhenina | Reuters
Western nations are boycotting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration ceremony Tuesday in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with the U.S., Canada and the U.K. among those refusing to send officials to the ceremony.
Putin is set to serve another six years in office following his March election win with around 87% of the vote, but Western countries described the vote as neither free nor fair. The inauguration comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues into its 27th month.
“We will not have a representative at his inauguration,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Monday.
“We certainly did not consider those elections as free and fair, but he is the president of Russia and he is going to continue in that capacity,” Miller said.
Most EU nations are also not expected to send officials to the ceremony, although France, Slovakia and Hungary are expecting to send representatives, Reuters reported. The news agency cited an unnamed EU spokesperson as saying the bloc’s ambassador to Russia would not attend the ceremony.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow does not conduct elections or inaugurations “in order to be appreciated, loved or hated by the West.”
— Holly Ellyatt
Putin set to be sworn in as president for fifth time
President-elect Vladimir Putin ahead of being sworn-in as President of Russia at St Andrew’s Hall of the Moscow Kremlin.
Mikhail Metzel | TASS via Getty Images
Vladimir Putin is set to be sworn in as Russia’s president for the fifth time in his political career.
Putin’s allies have heaped praise on the “strongman” leader ahead of the inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, saying society is consolidated around the president, who first took office 24 years ago.
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin was among the Russian officials heaping praise on the president ahead of the inauguration ceremony at noon Moscow time (10 a.m. London time), saying “Putin saved the country.”
“He revived it, restored state capacity, and ensured social and economic development. Putin is Russia’s advantage. The consolidation of society around our President will continue to lead the country to new victories,” he said on Telegram.
The Russian government led by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will resign on Tuesday and a government reshuffle is expected to take place in the coming days and weeks.
Close followers of Russian politics will be looking to see which allies — several of whom have been in ministerial posts for many years — Putin keeps close and who is promoted or demoted.
— Holly Ellyatt