Vladimir Putin walked to St. Andrew’s Throne Hall through the Grand Kremlin Palace for the fifth time. There, he was sworn in for a fresh six-year term as president of Russia and administered the oath of office.
Maybe he was used to the red carpet route. However, after Putin’s initial inauguration in May 2000, a lot has transpired.
At the time, President Putin promised to “take care of Russia” and to “preserve and develop democracy.”
After twenty-four years, the head of the Kremlin is still fighting Ukraine, a conflict in which Russia has incurred significant casualties. President Putin has been limiting democracy at home rather than fostering it by imprisoning opponents and eliminating all checks and balances on it.
