Vladimir Putin sailed to electoral victory on Sunday, winning a huge popular mandate for a fourth presidential term at a time of escalating tensions between Russia and the West. Opposition groups said the election was marred by widespread fraud, but the Russian election commission said irregularities had not significantly altered the result of the vote. Mr Putin’s victory will extend his time in office until 2024, when he will be 71 and Russia’s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. On Sunday, Putin dismissed British accusations of Russia’s involvement in the poisoning as “nonsense”, but added that Moscow is ready to co-operate with London in the investigation. On Sunday night a jubilant crowd of Putin supporters flocked to a square near the Kremlin to celebrate the election victory.

Source: The Irish Times March 18, 2018 22:31 UTC