Putin’s period in power hits 25 years

VLADIMIR Putin celebrates 25 years of remarkable political longevity in senior office on Tuesday (Dec 31). However, “peak Putin” may already have passed, even if he goes on to break Joseph Stalin’s record of around three decades in office during the era of the Soviet Union.

Putin’s rule has been an extraordinary period in Russian history that has seen him serve as president or prime minister from New Year’s Eve 1999 to date. While he is widely criticised in the West, he remains popular in much of Russia, and he may well win at least one more term of presidential office, in 2030, presuming he maintains reasonable health.

Putin, at 72, is around a decade younger than US President Joe Biden, and six years younger than US president-elect Donald Trump.