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The president got 75% of the votes, his biggest electoral victory. The future of religious freedom for the evangelical minorities is very much dependent on the course of East-West relations.
Vladimir Putin will be president of Russia until 2024.
There has been no surprise in Russia: Putin has won the elections and will be the president until 2024.
He has even exceeded the 70% granted by the polls, reaching 75% of the vote. This is his biggest victory at the polls since he began to present his candidacy in 2000.
The difference is abysmal with its most direct opponents in these elections, which will remain limited to a practically residual representation compared to the strength of Putin's party, Russia United.
The communist and millionaire Pavel Grudinin (the main rival of the president) obtained 12% of the votes, while liberals Zhirinovski and Sobchak got 6% and 1.3% respectively.
MANY CONFLICTS TO FACE
Putin's new term begins with a lot pressure, with many fronts open.
The most recent comes after the death by poisoning of a former Russian spy in the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister, Theresa May, accused the Russian president of being involved in the event. May decided to expel 23 diplomats from London, and Moscow has responded by doing the same.
On the other hand, the conflict with Ukraine is still open and has been present in these elections. Iin the Russian embassy in Kiev, some people tried to obstruct the voting of the Russians living in Ukraine.
And there are also tensions in the Middle East. Russia militarily supports the regime of Bashar al-Ásad in Syria, a state that in turn is developing a confrontation with Turkey in the border territory.
Turkey has the political support of a significant part of the West, after having signed an agreementt with the European Union for the retention of the migratory population that goes to the continent.
REACTIONS OF THE RUSSIAN EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY
The Russian Evangelical Alliance (REA) already told Evangelical Focus and Spanish news website Protestante Digital that “religious freedom for the evangelical minorities is very much dependent on the course of East-West relations. If they get worse, so will relations between evangelicals and the state”.
On the other hand, the REA claims not to expect “anything good from any government” because, according to the Secretary General of the Alliance, Sergey Vdovin, “for more than 1,000 years evangelicals have been bathed in their own blood and suffering”.
We need to ‘speak’ with actions as well as with words, and start with the people around us.
Archaeological excavations have shown very old representations of roosters have been found in the Holy Land, specifically in Tell el Nasbeh and Gibeon.
Julia Doxat-Purser: 25 years of EEA office in Brussels
An interview with the socio-political representative of the European Evangelical Alliance about how evangelical Christians work at the heart of the European Union.
Ruth Valerio: A lifestyle that cares about creation
Are Christians called to make a difference in environmental care? What has creation care to do with "loving our neighbours"? An interview with the Global Advocacy and Influencing Director of Tearfund.
Lars Dahle: Nominal Christianity, a mission field for the church
An interview with Lars Dahle, of the Steering Committee of the Lausanne Movement Global Consultation on Nominal Christianity held in Rome.
IFES World Assembly: ‘Messengers of Hope’
Students, graduates and staff of the global evangelical student movement reflected together on how the books of Luke and Acts apply to today's universities.
Christians at work - the missing link in fulfilling the Great Commission
Photos of the Lausanne Movement Global Workplace Forum, celebrated in Manila.
European Freedom Network Bridge 2019 conference
Images of the fifth EFN gathering. Experts, activists, counsellors and church leaders met in Pescara, Italy.
Porn exploits victims of human trafficking
The European Freedom Network launches a new anti-trafficking campaign: “You have no way of knowing if the porn you are looking at is from someone who chose to be there or not”.
What makes humans different to artificial intelligence machines?
David Glass, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Ulster University (Northern Ireland) analyses whether a computer can have emotions or a conscious experience.
A tent of hope for Venezuelan refugees
Thousands still cross the border to Colombia every week, and many continue on foot into the interior. Christian young people have set up an aid station along the road.
How has Christianity influenced the modern world?
Paul Copan, Chair of Philosophy and Ethics of Palm Beach Atlantic University, explains how many key features of Western civilization, are the legacy of the biblical faith being lived out by believers in society.
GWF in Manila: “Kingdom building requires global collaboration”
850 from 108 countries met for the Global Workplace Forum, June 25-29. The gathering was organised by the Lausanne Movement. “Every workplace is a place of ministry”.
Opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Evangelical Focus.
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