Vladimir Putin: The Russian leader who became president for the fifth time in 24 years, posing a challenge to the West

Twenty-four years later, today's Kremlin leader is waging war against Ukraine. It's a war in which Russia has suffered heavy losses. Instead of promoting democracy within the country, President Putin is weakening it. He has eliminated all checks and balances on his power, from putting critics in jail to ending any possible avenues for his accountability.

Even if they were to walk blindfolded, they would easily find this path. Vladimir Putin walked from the Kremlin's grand palace to the Saint Andrew Hall for the fifth time, and once again took the oath of the Russian presidency for a six-year term.

Addressing ministers and dignitaries, Putin said, "We are a united and great nation. Together, we will overcome all obstacles, implement all our projects, and victory will be ours."

While walking on the red carpet wasn't new for them, much has changed since Putin's first inauguration ceremony in May 2000. At that time, President Putin had pledged to "preserve democracy, promote progress, and protect Russia."

Fiona Hill, a former national security adviser to the White House, believes that "Putin now sees himself as Vladimir the Great, understanding Russian history." She says, "A review of Putin's first two presidential terms tells us a lot about him... He solved many problems and strengthened the country politically. In those periods, the Russian economy and system were performing better than in any previous era."

"The war in Ukraine has dramatically slowed down this pace. Putin has transformed himself from a pragmatist to an imperial figure."

The West's challenge is how to deal with the assertive and influential new era of Russian leadership. Putin 5.0 or his fifth presidential term is a significant supporter of this current Russian regime.

Russian MP Pyotr Talaistyi told me, "Putin is leading Russia towards victory."

I inquired, "What do you mean by victory?""Victory means when Britain and the West realize that Russia is a superpower and they accept Russia's national interests."

And if the West doesn't?Then it's the end for the West."I met one of President Putin's biggest admirers inside the Kremlin palace.Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, often says, "If there is Putin, there is Russia. If there is no Putin, there is no existence of Russia."

Volodin states, "The West desires a weak Russia, one that is fractured, but Putin stands in their way."

Let's not forget that since Vladimir Putin first came to power, five presidents in the US and seven prime ministers in the UK have changed.

After nearly a quarter of a century of holding power in Russia, Putin has earned a special name. In the past, people rarely talked about "Brezhnevism," "Gorbachevism," or "Yeltsinism." That is, the previous rulers were perhaps not as adulated as Putin.

But "Putinism" is a reality.

Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, Andrey Kolesnikov, says, "We have experienced another Stalinism in our history."

He believes that "Putinism is the second coming of Stalinism. They praise the former Soviet leader Stalin. His power is just like Stalin's. They prefer to use excessive political force and, like Stalin, want to remain in power until the end of their lives."And the West's challenge is how to deal with the assertive and influential new era of Russian leadership, which dreams of making Russia great again and is determined to revive its greatness with nuclear weapons.

When Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, countries like China, India, Japan were deeply alarmed."

She proposes, "We can set restrictions on Russia by forming an international framework to address such threats."

She says that we need to create a tough environment in which, if Putin wants to do something, he needs at least permission to do so.Vladimir Putin received over 87% of the vote in the March presidential elections. However, an election widely considered on a large scale to be neither free nor fair didn't present Putin with any serious opposition.I raised this question in front of Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of Russia's Central Election Commission.

I communicated to her, "Many opponents of the president were prevented from voting."Pamfilova replied, "Those who criticize like that either never went to Russia or didn't stay in Russia for long. It's all lies and fabrications."

Valentina expresses concern, "We fear that in the event of Putin's departure, who will assume leadership next?"The Kremlin is not the only place where you can see Vladimir Putin.

In the Kashira district, 70 miles from Moscow, there is a huge portrait of Putin spread across the entire wall of an apartment block.

In Kashira, Vladimir Putin watches over you.

Valentina, selling flowers by the roadside, says, "I like it."

"Putin has good ideas and does a lot for the people. It's true that our pension isn't enough, but he can't fix everything at once."

I reminded her that he has been in power for almost 25 years.

Valentina responds, "But we are afraid that if Putin goes, who will be the next leader?"Passing by the wall, Victoria says, "In Russia, we are all expected to think like this."

If I say something against Putin, my husband says: If you criticize Putin again, I will divorce you. He is a Putin fan. He says if it weren't for Putin, life here would be as difficult as it was in the 1990s.

When I asked another passerby, Alexander, what he thinks of the president, he replied: "Expressing my opinion these days can be dangerous. I won't comment."

Most of the people I spoke to said they were accustomed to Putin's image and passed by without looking at it.Just as they have become accustomed to the person who runs Russia, whose change seems impossible.