How Putin Transformed Russia and the World

The Russian president’s ascent had raised hopes of reform, but under his decades-long rule, market competition has eroded and social spending has dwindled

Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first president, resigns on Dec. 31, 1999, in Moscow, leaving Putin as acting president. Photo: VCG　

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide victory with 87% of the vote, marking his fifth victory in a Russian presidential election.

Under the current Russian constitution, Putin is eligible to run for president for another six-year term in 2030, which means he could potentially remain in power until 2036, and if so, will surpass Stalin as the longest-serving Russian leader since the beginning of the Soviet era.

The election win comes soon after Russia achieved its first widely recognized military victory in nearly a year, as the Ukrainian army has withdrawn from the southern stronghold of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.