Vladimir Putin declares that he will run for president of Russia in the March 2024 elections

Vladimir Putin has declared today that he will run again for president of Russia, in the elections of March 2024.

The announcement made this Friday was not unexpected and there is little question about the outcome.

Putin has dominated Russia's political system and media for the past two decades, imprisoning prominent opposition politicians such as Alexei Navalny and Ilya Yashin who might challenge him on the ballot.

Putin has won previous elections by a landslide, but independent election observers say they were largely rigged.

Putin's spokesman, in a previous interview, said: "Putin will be re-elected next year with more than 90% of the votes." This would be his fifth term in power.