The Russian president used his 'victory' speech to say protests during the election had 'no effect' and any 'crimes' would be punished after the vote.
Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in an election he said showed the people had 'trust' and 'hope' in him. Sunday was the last day of a presidential election that offered Russians no real alternatives to Mr Putin after he ruthlessly cracked down on dissent. Early returns after the polls closed showed he is poised to extend his near 25-year rule until 2030, with some 87% of the vote after about 80% of precincts were counted, according to Russia's Central Election Commission.
Mr Putin faced competition from only three token rivals and any public criticism of him or his war in Ukraine was stifled. Critics are either in jail or in exile. Beyond the fact that voters have virtually no choice, independent monitoring of the election was extremely limited.
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