Russian President Vladimir Putin has been sworn into office at a lavish Kremlin ceremony for a record-breaking fifth term.
Putin, 71, who has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, got a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections where he had no opposition.
In his remarks at the event, Putin said, “We are a united and great people. Together we will overcome all obstacles, we will bring all our plans to fruition, and together we will win.”
The Russian leader vowed to ensure “sustained and stable development, unity and independence of the country”.
Putin thanked soldiers taking part in what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, more than two years after it began on February 24, 2022, at a ceremony attended by some of those fighting.
Evoking the country’s “thousand-year history” as he spoke in the Kremlin’s gilded St Andrew’s Hall, the president said that present-day Russians owed a debt to previous generations who achieved “such triumphs that inspire us today”.
He said Russians shared a “firm conviction that we ourselves alone will determine the fate of Russia for the sake of present and future generations”.