Vladimir Putin has been elected President of Russia once again for six years and will be the longest serving ruler in the country since Joseph Stalin. He bagged 77% votes. His rival, Alexei Navalny was debarred from the contest for corruption charges. But Putin himself is faced with many daunting challenges. He is accused of ultra- nationalism, a hostile attitude to the west and failure to deliver on economic promises.
Russia’s relationship with the west has soured with the diplomatic sparring between Moscow and Western capitals over Russian tampering in US elections and recently over the death of a former spy in Britain. Russia in 1999 is not the same as Russia of 2018 which Putin should be aware of. There is mounting protest against Putin’s government. Navalny has launched an anti-corruption crusade against Putin’s party since 2017. Vladimir Putin has yet to solve the fundamental problems of the Russian economy. He will have difficulty achieving his promised growth rate of 3%. Putin tried to make himself popular with military aggression in Ukraine and reaching out to the Baltic Republics. He has also asserted himself in Crimea and Chechnya. However, oil prices have hit a plateau. Further economic sanctions on Russia may come following the suicide of a Russian agent in London and the alleged chemical contamination of the city as a result. Economic strength and social development are more important than chauvinism in any country, especially in Europe. Isolated now from the UK, the US and France, Russia under Putin may have heavy odds to fight.
