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After 24 years in the Kremlin, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is closing in on another six years in office after the election, becoming Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. According to The Wall Street Journal, his government did everything possible to ensure victory - jailing critics, silencing the press and introducing new laws to stamp out any criticism of the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, the publication notes, the scale of his victory is more important. According to analysts. Putin doesn't just want to win, he needs to win outright if he is to have a free hand in reviving Russia's conservative Orthodox traditions and dominance in Ukraine and in his broader confrontation with the West.
"This legitimizes Putin's legacy and his war of aggression, relegating the rest of the opposition to an even more marginalized role and allowing Putin to pursue his vision unhindered for the next six years," Western analysts said.
Putin has already signaled some of his plans in speeches and interviews, chief among them his insistence on continuing the war in Ukraine.
Observers also predict that the Russian leader may soon start another wave of arrests, new laws to suppress dissent and increase taxes on the wealthy. Analysts say there could also be a new wave of mobilization to reinforce Russia's growing dominance on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Putin may seek a more delicate balancing act to preserve Russia's economy. Analysts said he is likely to focus on making sure Russians can continue to live normal lives, while also announcing plans to spend billions of dollars to fight poverty and rebuild much of the country's aging infrastructure.
He also spoke of creating a new elite of veterans and those who served in the war in Ukraine, and called for more support, including training and education opportunities.
At the same time, some analysts called such rhetoric empty pre-election promises. More realistic, they say, is that Putin may eventually launch the second wave of mobilization needed to gain the upper hand on the battlefield.
At the same time, analysts emphasize that the Russian leader will need to find a way to prevent a repeat of the flight of hundreds of thousands of Russians from the country after the first wave of mobilization, for example, to close the border.
At the same time, analysts note that Putin is probably waiting for the results of the presidential elections in the USA along with other elections in Europe. Analysts say he intends to continue the war as long as he needs to, and he feels time is on his side.
Elections in Russia
from March 15 to 17, presidential elections are held in Russia, in which no opposition candidate takes part. Instead, Vladimir Putin is running for a new term, his fifth in a row. Already on the first day, many violations of voting rules were recorded, in particular, a huge number of forced voters, lack of observers and opposition to exit polls.
At the same time, some Russians express their attitude to what is happening in an extremely active way. Thus, throughout the territory of the Russian Federation, cases of ballot tampering and burning of booths and polling stations are reported.
