Russia’s ruling party backs Putin’s reelection bid while a pro-peace candidate clears first hurdle

Delegates from Russia’s ruling party unanimously backed President Vladimir Putin ’s bid for reelection at a party conference in Moscow on Sunday, state agencies reported, just a day after the Kremlin leader’s supporters formally nominated him to run in the 2024 presidential election as an independent. A little-known Russian presidential hopeful who calls for peace in Ukraine also inched closer towards formally registering as a candidate, securing a nomination from a group of more than 500 supporters in the Russian capital. Dmitry Medvedev, United Russia’s chairman and a former Russian president and prime minister, called on fellow party members to “mobilize all activists and supporters” in support of Putin before the vote, scheduled for March 15-17, according to reports by Russian state agencies.