On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin took office as president of Russia for a fifth six-year term during a ceremony held at the Grand Kremlin Palace.
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The 71-year-old politician took the oath of office with his right hand on a copy of the Constitution, which he amended in 2020 to remove the legal obstacle that prevented him from staying in the Kremlin.
"In exercising the powers of the President of the Russian Federation, I swear to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, to fulfill and defend the Constitution of the Russian Federation, to protect the sovereignty and independence, security and integrity of the State, to faithfully serve the people," Putin said.
The Russian leader took the oath escorted by the heads of the Duma or lower house of parliament and the Federation Council or Senate.
Putin first assumed power in 2000 and was re-elected on March 17 with a historic result of over 87 percent of the vote. He will remain at the Kremlin until 2030, totaling 30 years in power.
Subsequently, the Russian president delivered a speech to around 2,600 guests in the St. Andrew's Hall. At the end of the ceremony, the head of the Constitutional Court, Valeri Zorkin, presented Putin with the presidential symbol, a gold cross with the Russian coat of arms.
The ceremony was attended by the country's top officials, including leaders from Donetsk, Lugansk, Jerson, and Zaporiyia, the four regions that joined the Russian Federation.
Although the Kremlin invited ambassadors from unfriendly countries, the United States and the vast majority of European Union countries did not attend.
Previously, the U.S. and the European Union questioned Putin's electoral victory, but they did not go as far as to recognize him as an illegitimate president.