Putin officially registered as candidate in Russia's March presidential election

Russia's Central Election Commission on January 29 registered incumbent Vladimir Putin as a presidential candidate for an election scheduled for March 17. According to constitutional amendments adopted in 2020, Putin, who has run the country as president or prime minister since 1999, has the right to seek two more six-year terms, meaning he could stay in office until 2036. The 71-year-old Putin is already the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. No serious challenger has emerged so far to run against Putin amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent and the opposition.