Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “record” victory has been hailed by allies such as China, Iran and India, while the West has denounced the election as “illegal” and a “farce”. Putin’s friends around the world were quick to congratulate him. Chinese state media said President Xi Jinping lauded Putin on a victory that “fully reflects” the support of the Russian people. At the same time, Putin’s re-election was rejected by the West. Both the EU and the US dismissed the vote as neither free nor fair. Putin begins this next term facing huge challenges triggered by his 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has made relations with the West increasingly belligerent. A new Putin term is likely to see increased emphasis on Moscow’s ties with Eastern powers, especially courting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. It appears that Putin wants willing partners to keep powering Russia’s war-time economy, while promoting a new world order led by the East capable of challenging the West’s decades-long domination of geopolitics. So how is Putin and his grasp on Russia transforming the world order?