Vladimir Putin secured a new presidential term in Russia as – according to the first results in 24% of the votes – he collected 87.97%.

“The results of the presidential election show the ‘confidence’ of Russians in power…they will allow Russian society to stabilize and strengthen,” the Russian president said in his victory speech at his campaign headquarters broadcast on Russian television.

Russia will not be “intimidated” or “crushed,” Putin said. “”It matters little who wants to intimidate us or at what point, it matters little who wants to crush us or at what point, our will and conscience. No one has ever succeeded in doing anything similar in history. That didn’t work today and it won’t work in the future.”

The goals of his new term – The terms for a truce

“We have many specific and important goals to achieve. The results of the elections show the confidence of the citizens of the country and their hope that we will do everything that is foreseen,” he said.

Russia’s priority should be to fulfill the goals of the special military operation” in Ukraine and to strengthen the military, Putin said, adding that he would do everything possible to accomplish that mission and those goals that the he and his government consider them to be a priority.

Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine every day and have the initiative on the front, he said.

Russia should consider who it could talk to about the possibility of peace in Ukraine, he said, implying that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not an option.

Russia is ready for talks on the French proposal to implement a ceasefire during the Olympics, but to do so Russia’s interests on the front must be taken into account, he said.

Putin “revealed” that he had agreed to a prisoner swap involving Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and “it’s sad that he died”.

The key condition for the exchange was that Alexei Navalny would not return to Russia.

The protest against him organized by the opposition during the election process had no effect, he said, but the people who prevented other people from voting by acts of vandalism should be punished. ladies and another violation of international law.”