Putin promises ‘victories’ at rally
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin yesterday promised “victories” for Russia at a star-studded rally attended by tens of thousands of supporters ahead of a March 18 election he is all but certain to win.
Olympic athletes, celebrities and cosmonauts earlier took to the stage to voice support for Putin, who has ruled the country for two decades and is seeking to extend his Kremlin term to 2024.
“We want our country to be bright and looking to the future, for our children and grandchildren... we will do everything we can for them to be happy,” he told the cheering crowd at Luzhniki stadium here.
Organisers said 100,000 people were expected to attend the event. A journalist estimated 80,000 people were in the stadium before the rally began.
Boosted by a slavish media and foreign military adventures like the annexation of Crimea in 2014, his approval rating remains skyhigh, and official polls suggest he will take almost 70 per cent of the vote.