Twenty-three years in power: Russian President Vladimir Putin
Putin could become the longest-serving Russian leader AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to run for president in next year's elections as he aims to keep leading the country through his war in Ukraine, Reuters reported, citing six people familiar with the discussions.

A hint of the reelection campaign or an official announcement could come in the next few weeks, some of the sources told Reuters. The news agency didn't name the sources because of the sensibility of Kremlin politics.

If Putin wins, he could be in power until at least 2030, surpassing Josef Stalin as the country's longest-serving ruler. Putin has been in the presidency since 1999. Stalin led the country for over 29 years, from 1924 until his death in 1954.

According to Reuters, Putin's advisers are already preparing his presidential campaign. Opinion polls show that he has an 80% approval rating, which makes his reelection very likely, the news agency said.

Russia holds presidential elections in March.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who ran for president in 2018, has been jailed since 2021. Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia's most powerful mercenary, died in a plane crash in August after leading a mutiny against Putin.

The war in Ukraine has positioned most Western nations against Russia. The country is under several economic sanctions, but still gets substantial revenue from its oil and gas sales.

The IMF estimates the Russian economy will grow 2.2% this year. It's more than the forecast of 0.7% for the Eurozone and 2.1% for the U.S.

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