Putin is starting his 5th term as president, more in control of Russia than ever

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FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at a ceremony to present medals on the eve of Heroes of the Fatherland Day at St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. Putin seems to be hoping that relentless military pressure, changing Western political dynamics and a global focus on the war in Gaza will drain support for Ukraine. (Sergei Guneyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) Vladimir Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president in an opulent Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine...