Vladimir Putin gave a short speech before handing the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev. To applause from the audience, Putin said he’d kept his promise and responsibility to safeguard Russia’s interests.
In his speech Vladimir Putin said the inauguration of the new democratically elected president of the Russian Federation is a very important step for the formation of democratic authority and an act that is meant to unite all the regions of the country and all its forces. He stressed that the moral integrity of the people in power matters even more than their professional skills. He also said that keeping in mind the interests and needs of every single citizen is the only way for authorities to maintain the development of the country. Putin also promised that he will continue to preserve and protect Russia the way he did during his two terms of office. Looking back at eight years of Vladimir Putin in power Russian and Foreign political analysts agree that the country still faces a lot of challenges, but also admit that Putin has managed to restore national pride. Quentin Peel, International Affairs Editor of the Financial Times, Dmitry Suslov, from the Council for Foreign and Defence policy, Evgeny Bazhanov, Vice-President at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, and Viktoria Panova, Political analyst from Moscow State University of International Relations, shared with RT their views on Putin’s term and Russia’s future under Medvedev.