THE HAGUE, May 7. /TASS/. Dutch MEP Marcel de Graaff from the Dutch party Forum for Democracy has congratulated Vladimir Putin on being inaugurated as Russian president.

"Congratulations president Putin and congratulations people of Russia with your president," he wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Putin took office as president of Russia for the fifth time. The ceremony that kicked off his new presidential term took place on Tuesday. The Russian presidential election was held from March 15 to 17. According to the Central Election Commission, the incumbent president won 87.28% of the vote. The election’s turnout was 77.44%, the highest in Russia's recent history.