Vladimir Putin walks before his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2024. (Sputnik/Artyom Geodakyan/Pool via REUTERS)

71-year-old Putin has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999.

He told Russia's political elite after being sworn in that he was not shutting down dialogue with the West but that it would have to make its own choice about how to engage with Russia. He said talks on strategic nuclear stability with the West were also possible, but only on equal terms.

Putin won a landslide victory in March, extending his term until 2030.