Little chance of change in the Kremlin as Putin is sworn in again

He could astir apt locomotion it blindfolded.

For the 5th clip Vladimir Putin volition beryllium taking the agelong locomotion done the Grand Kremlin Palace to the St Andrew's Throne Hall. There helium volition instrumentality the oath of bureau and beryllium sworn successful arsenic Russia's president for a caller six-year word

The way whitethorn beryllium familiar, but overmuch has changed since Putin's archetypal inauguration ceremonial successful May 2000.

Back then, President Putin pledged to "preserve and make democracy" and to "take attraction of Russia."

Twenty-four years on, the Kremlin person is waging warfare against Ukraine; a warfare successful which Russia has suffered dense losses. At home, alternatively of processing democracy, President Putin has been curtailing it: jailing critics, removing each checks and balances connected his power.

"Putin thinks of himself present arsenic Vladimir the Great, arsenic a Russian tsar," believes Fiona Hill, a erstwhile White House nationalist information advisor.

"If we took ourselves backmost to his archetypal 2 statesmanlike terms, I deliberation we'd person a reasonably favourable appraisal of Putin. He stabilised the state politically and made it solvent again. The Russian system and strategy were performing amended than astatine immoderate different erstwhile clip successful its history.

"The warfare successful Ukraine, going backmost to the annexation of Crimea 10 years ago, has dramatically changed that trajectory. He's turned himself into an imperialist alternatively of a pragmatist."

It's singular to deliberation that since Vladimir Putin archetypal came to power, America has been done 5 antithetic presidents and Britain has had 7 premier ministers.

After astir a 4th of a period moving Russia, Mr Putin has surely made his mark. In the past, radical seldom spoke of "Brezhnevism", "Gorbachevisim" oregon "Yeltsinism".

But Putinism: that's a thing.

"We person 1 much -ism successful our history: Stalinism," says Andrei Kolesnikov, elder chap astatine the Carnegie Eurasia Russia Centre.

"I would accidental that Putinism is 1 much incarnation of Stalinism. He behaves similar [former Soviet dictator] Stalin. His powerfulness is personalised similar successful Stalin's time. He prefers to usage a batch of governmental repressions. And similar Stalin helium is acceptable to support himself successful powerfulness until the carnal end."

The challenge, for the West, is however to woody with an progressively authoritarian Russian person determined to reconstruct what helium sees arsenic Russia's greatness; a modern-day tsar… with atomic weapons.

"On the contented of atomic weapons, there's an atrocious batch that we tin do," believes Fiona Hill. "Some countries, similar China, India, Japan, person been extraordinarily tense erstwhile Putin has engaged successful atomic sabre-rattling successful Ukraine and person pushed backmost against that. We tin enforce restraint connected Russia by creating an planetary model for pushing backmost connected this chaotic and speculative speech astir utilizing atomic weapons.

"Perhaps that is thing of a exemplary for however we tin woody with Vladimir Putin, who successful galore respects is thing of a rogue leader. We request to make a much constraining environment, little permissive for the kinds of actions that helium wants to undertake."

Officially Vladimir Putin won much than 87% of the ballot successful the March statesmanlike election. However, he'd faced nary superior challenger successful a contention wide seen arsenic neither escaped not fair.

So however bash Russians presumption the longest-serving Kremlin person since Joseph Stalin?

To find retired I thrust to the municipality of Kashira, 70 miles from Moscow. Here a gigantic Putin portrait, a monolithic mural, takes up 1 full broadside of an flat block.

In Kashira Big Vladimir is watching you.

"I similar him," says pensioner Valentina who is selling flowers by the roadside.

"Putin has bully ideas and does a batch for people. True, our pensions aren't big. But helium can't hole everything successful 1 go."

"He's had astir 25 years," I constituent out.

"But we don't cognize who'd travel adjacent [if Putin goes]," Valentina replies.

"In Russia we're each expected to deliberation the aforesaid way," says Victoria, who is walking past the Putin mural.

"If I accidental thing against Putin my hubby says: 'You criticise Putin again and I'll divorcement you!' He's huffy astir him. He says that if it wasn't for Putin beingness present would beryllium arsenic pugnacious arsenic successful the 1990s."

When I inquire different passer-by, Alexander, what helium thinks of the president, helium replies: "It tin beryllium unsafe present to explicit an opinion. No comment."

Most of the radical I speech to accidental that they locomotion past Putin's representation without adjacent noticing it now. They're utilized to it.

Just similar they've grown utilized to 1 antheral moving Russia and nary imminent imaginable of alteration successful the Kremlin.