Chinese president congratulated Putin on his election victory, hailing him as a force for progress as Moscow’s ties with Beijing deepen. Putin faced no genuine competition on the way to what Russian state media reported was a record landslide win. The victory paves the way for the former KGB spy to become the longest-serving Russian leader in over 200 years. Like his friend Xi, Putin has also torn up political convention to secure unprecedentedly long terms in powerPutin won over 87% of the vote in a three-day ballot blasted as illegitimate by Western powers. In a congratulatory message, Xi told Putin his re-election “fully reflects the support of the Russian people for you.”