Run as an independent candidate in the March presidential election
NATO Secretary-General discusses war in Ukraine in U.S.
“If Russia wins, North Korea and Iran will become bolder.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is running for a fifth term in the March presidential election, has registered as a presidential candidate. He also announced his intention to expedite discussions on the creation of a ‘union state’ with his ally Belarus.
According to the Russian state-run TASS news agency on the 29th, Russia’s Central Election Commission announced on this day, “President Putin has officially registered as a candidate for the presidential election scheduled for March 15-17.” He is running as an independent candidate in this presidential election. He only ran as a candidate for the ruling United Russia Party in the 2012 presidential election, and ran as an independent in 2000, 2004, and 2018.
Analysis suggests that the reason for running as an independent candidate is an attempt to dilute domestic and international criticism of his long-term rule. He emphasizes that he was elected with bipartisan support in a situation where it is clear that President Putin will be elected, and insists on being independent in order to highlight the image of ‘the president of all the people’.
However, the criticism of ‘covering one’s eyes and shouting’ still remains. President Putin previously submitted signatures of support from 315,000 voters to the National Election Commission on the 22nd. This list included all regional organizations of the United Russia Party as well as the pro-Putin political group All-Russian National Front. In effect, he announced his intention to mobilize the ruling party organization for the campaign.
On the same day, President Putin also announced his intention to accelerate the pace of integration between Russia and Belarus. He met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg, his hometown and Russia’s second-largest city, on this day and said, “We have made significant progress in establishing a union state with Belarus.” He also emphasized that the two countries will work together to form equal and indivisible security.
On this day, the two leaders evaluated the status of implementation of each provision for establishing a union state from 2021 to 2023 and approved the program to establish a union state to be promoted from 2024 to 2026. The two countries have already signed a treaty to create a union state since 1999 and have been pursuing national integration.
President Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, is criticized for being in power longer than President Putin. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he has also claimed to be Russia’s top assistant. Since June of last year, Russia has been putting pressure on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which supports Ukraine, by deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern about strengthening cooperation between the two countries. After meeting with US Secretary of State Tony Blinken in Washington on this day, he said, “Russia’s victory (in the Ukraine war) will embolden countries such as North Korea, Iran, and China.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.