Putin can get new title to replace “US-origin president”

Kremlin allies have called for Vladimir Putin to be addressed as the country's 'Ruler' rather than his current title “President”.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) has suggested the use of “Pravitel”, a Russian title, as it is more befitting of Putin's status and role, Daily Mail reports.

The right-wing party has 22 seats out of the 450 in the country's parliament and is currently used by the Kremlin to gently float its more radical ideas and garner evidence of their popularity.

It comes as Russia continues to push for substitutes for products, brands and words from the West amid sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine in February.

The LDPR has argued in Russian media that Putin's current “President” title was actually first coined in the US in the 18th century, The Telegraph reports, and “Pravitel” should be used instead despite its autocratic connotations.

Putin attended the funeral of the party's former leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky died in April; such were his close links to the Kremlin.

On December 22, 2021, Zhirinovsky told MPs in a speech that the invasion would start on 22 February, though it actually began on the evening of February 23, and heralded a "new direction in Russian foreign policy".