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Introduction – March 18, 2024

Nearly 87% of Russians voted for President Putin in an election that saw a voter turnout of over 74 percent. In contrast the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election turnout was 66 percent, and that election was marred by numerous allegations of vote rigging.

While the 2019 UK General Election turnout was a rather more restrained 67 percent.

Either way, support for Putin completely overshadows support for the UK/US leaders but what does this mean in broader terms?

In effect Russians have expressed their confidence in President Putin’s leadership and given him the go-ahead to do as he sees fit.

I’m not going to speculate on what that may entail but under Putin Russia is turning into a force to be reckoned with. Despite the best efforts of London and Washington, it is in the process of consolidating its economy and securing a decisive victory over Western-backed neo-Nazis in Ukraine.

With his election win the Russian people have given President Putin a clear mandate to do as he wants. So if he decides to increase the stakes in his face-off with West the Russian people will support him.

What happens next is anyone’s guess but under Putin Russia is reclaiming its status as a major international power and he should not be dismissed. Ed.

The Russian president warns that a full-scale conflict with NATO cannot be ruled out.

NATO has boots on the ground in Ukraine – Putin

RT – March 18, 2024

It is no secret that fighters from NATO states are present on the ground in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, noting that those service members are facing extremely grim prospects.

Speaking to his supporters and reporters on Sunday night after his landslide presidential election victory, Putin stressed that Moscow was well aware of the US-led military bloc’s push to deploy troops in Ukraine.

“We hear both French and English speech there. There is nothing good in this, first of all for them, because they die there and in large numbers,” he said.

He also weighed in on a potential full-scale conflict between NATO and Russia, warning that it could not be ruled out. “Anything is possible in the modern world… But everyone knows that this would be one step shy of a full-scale World War II. I don’t think that anyone is interested in that.”

French President Emmanuel Macron suggested last month that the West “cannot exclude” the possibility of sending soldiers to aid Ukraine. Later, he also described Russia as an “adversary,” insisting, however, that Paris is not “waging war on” Moscow.

Commenting on Macron’s remarks, Putin noted that while NATO troops in Ukraine are expected to act as an auxiliary force, helping Kiev train its military, “this is not much different from what mercenaries are doing there now.” Russia, he added, wants France not to escalate the conflict but to help find a peaceful solution to hostilities.

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