On Wednesday, Russian president Vladimir Putin confirmed that he will run for re-election in March 2018. Early reports say it is a contest he seems sure to win comfortably. The 65-year-old Putin, who made the announcement at a car-making factory in the Volga river city of Nizhny Novgorod, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. If he wins a fourth presidential term, he will be eligible to serve another six years until 2024.
