This weekend, Russia will hold a presidential election—but the event is merely a formality. After a quarter century in power, Russian President Vladimir Putin will serve another six-year term and will likely extend his rule once that is up, write Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman. For over two decades, Putin has worked tirelessly to eliminate any domestic forces that oppose him—and “to deprive most Russians of the ability to imagine a future without him.” Today, Kimmage and Lipman write, the Russian leader is “at the height of his power.”
In other recent essays in Foreign Affairs, close observers of Russia assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of Putin’s regime. Start reading below:
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