President Vladimir Putin thanks voters after landslide election win

People listen to presidential candidate, President Vladimir Putin, during a rally and a concert celebrating the fourth anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia at Manezhnaya Square in Moscow on March 18, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

President Vladimir Putin has expressed gratitude to the nation after winning a landslide victory in the presidential election, in which he garnered nearly 77 percent of the votes.

Addressing a crowd in his electoral campaign headquarters on Sunday night, Putin thanked the voters for their support and said Russia had a great future ahead of it.

From the 99.8 percent of ballots counted, Putin received 76.67 of the votes, according to Russia’s central election commission on Monday.

No serious complaints about violations have been registered, said the commission.

Putin’s victory in Sunday’s vote is recorded as his best ever performance.

“I see in this, at the very least, a recognition of what has been done over the past few years in very difficult conditions. I see trust and hope in this; hope among our people that we will continue to work just as intensively, just as responsibly, and even more effectively,” he said.

“Thank you that we have such a powerful, multi-million member team. I am a member of your team,” the Russian leader said.

Putin promised that “we are bound for success,” adding, “We will think about the future of our great motherland, about the future of our children, and by doing so we are surely destined for success.”

This photo illustration taken in Moscow on March 19, 2018, shows front pages of Russian newspapers reporting on the victory of Vladimir Putin in Russia’s presidential election. (By AFP)

In his second consecutive and fourth six years in office, the popular president of Russia is expected to continue Moscow’s assertive presence in the international arena as strongly as before.

Ahead of the vote, Putin had seen his approval ratings skyrocketed since the last election in 2012, with many analysts saying the rise in his popularity is mainly due to his successful policies toward regional issues, particularly the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

The Russian presidential race coincided with the fourth anniversary of Crimea’s separation from Ukraine and reunification with the Russian Federation following a popular referendum in the Black Sea peninsula.

The Western countries branded the development as “annexation” and slapped sanctions on Russia.

Despite the hardships imposed on Russia due to the bans, Putin’s popularity rate remains higher than ever.

Putin has vowed to use his new term to boost Russia’s defenses against the West and to raise living standards.

In the Middle East, Russia under Putin has also been successfully helping the national Syrian army to fight off terrorist groups.