Putin Claims Victory in Russian Presidential Election

Vladimir Putin claimed victory in Russia’s presidential election Sunday. Putin defeated four challengers and easily won the vote. However, his imminent return to the Kremlin was marred by protests at the capital today. Protesters took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration over what opposition leaders and independent observers said was widespread vote fraud.

The chief election monitor for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said there were “serious problems” with the election.

The organization cited abuse of government resources and unfair access to media as factors that made sure Putin’s win was never in doubt.

Opposition candidate Mikhail Prokhorov told reporters today that he never believed the election would be fair.

Putin’s victory sets up the possibility that he will rule Russia until 2024 if he wins another six-year term in 2018. This would put Putin’s rule in the league of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

With Putin back in power, watch for Russia to reassert itself more aggressively on the world stage.

As prime minister, Putin already has called for the creation of a “Eurasian Union” modeled on the European Union. This union would allow Russia to dominate most of the territory previously controlled by the ussr.

Watch for Putin to pull out all the stops and attempt to reclaim Russia’s former glory. His actions will contribute to a great and terrible clash between his powerful Eurasian bloc and the superpower now rising in Europe.