2024 Russian Presidential Race: Vladimir Putin Declares Re-Election Bid

By Babatunde Solanke

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has declared his intention to run for president in March 2024.

Following an awards ceremony for army personnel at the Kremlin, Putin informed Russian military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Artyom Zhoga, about his decision to take part in the upcoming vote, according to state-run news agencies.

“We are overjoyed that the president has given attention to our request that he run,” Zhoga was quoted by state-run news agency RIA Novosti as saying, “Everyone in Russia is in favour of him.”

However, Putin has not yet formally declared that he will participate in the vote, which is set for March 15–17 of next year.

The head of Russia’s upper house of parliament, Valentina Matvienko, stated, “Our President has never avoided and does not avoid responsible decisions.

“And he’s verified this once more today. He attested to that during a historic decision and historic challenge,” she continued.

According to analysts, Putin is unlikely to encounter any significant opposition and is likely to pursue a broad mandate to mask domestic divisions surrounding the situation in Ukraine.