Vladimir Putin Wins Landslide in the Russian Election: International Reaction

Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide victory in the preliminary calculations for the 2024 Russian presidential election, winning around 87 percent of the votes from around 60 percent of the electoral districts that had been counted by the Russian Central Election Commission. Putin's victory in the election, which came more than two years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, was seen by many as a sign that the war in Ukraine will not end any time soon.

Putin's victory in this election surprised many parties, especially in Western countries who said the vote was neither free nor fair. The United States, for example, says the election was neither free nor fair because Putin had jailed political opponents and prevented others from running against him. However, Putin not only faces negative reactions from Western countries, but can also hope for closer friendship with other countries. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh hopes that Hamas' friendship with Moscow will become closer. 

With a fourth win, Putin will begin his fifth presidential term, with a term as prime minister in between. If he completes another six-year term, he will overtake Joseph Stalin to become Russia's longest-serving leader at more than 200 years. 

Putin's victory in the 2024 Russian elections means that Russia will have a third leader, which could strengthen Russia's grip on international power, as well as remind Western countries that Russia will not be easily accepted in the context of international politics.

With this extraordinary victory, Putin can extend his term as president of Russia for another six years. With the new mandate, Putin will lead Russia again for the next six years, and around 76 million Russian citizens or 87.28 percent of voters support Putin.

Putin's victory in the 2024 Russian elections will not only extend his presidential term, but will also have a major impact on the world. With this extraordinary victory, Putin can strengthen Russia's power in international power, as well as remind Western countries that Russia will not be easily accepted in the context of international politics.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has rejected Putin's victory in the 2024 Russian elections. He considers the elections neither free nor fair, because Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him. Zelensky also criticized "Russian dictator" Putin for "imitating" the election, adding that it was "illegitimate."

"Foreign rejection of a country's election cannot have a very significant impact, especially
since the person rejecting it is a country in conflict (not too strong) so the decision on the
results of the Russian election is legal, even if there is rejection from other countries it is
not a problem, because it has nothing to do with it." – the difference between Ukraine and
Russia is unless the person rejecting it is a Russian citizen, but if there is no rejection
from Russian citizens it is all legal, Zelensky's words have no effect on the election results
and Putin still has authority over the general election. Apart from that, Putin's absolute
victory over the election, even though it had something to do with human rights violations, relations between countries, where Russia was later
deemed to have violated human rights in the war between Ukraine, had nothing to do with
the election, the election was the result of domestic politics. who gave birth to Putin," said
Fadlan Nur Hakiem, S.IP., M.Si, Lecturer in International Law, Singapore University,
Karawang.