Dmitry Medvedev has said the incumbent leader must continue in his role
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he will run for office again next year is a “logical” move considering the current global situation, former Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday.
Medvedev’s comments came after Putin officially announced earlier in the day that he would seek reelection in 2024.
In a statement provided to the media by his assistant, former President Medvedev stated that taking into account global circumstances and the “dramatic period” Russia is going through, Putin’s decision is “absolutely logical and correct.”
“His work as president must be continued,” Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, was quoted as saying.
Ahead of Putin’s confirmation that he would seek reelection, the Public Opinion Foundation released a poll on Thursday in which around 70% of Russians said he should run for another term in office. Some 15% said Putin should leave his post and take a senior government position, while 8% stated the 71-year-old should leave politics altogether.
The 2024 Russian presidential election is set to be held across a three-day vote from March 15 to March 17. The winner will be inaugurated in early May. If Putin wins, he will be elected for a fifth term at the helm of the country. He is currently serving his fourth term after victory in 2018, when he garnered over 76% of the vote. Putin also successfully ran in 2000, 2004, and 2012.
