Putin is set to win 6 more years in power
Vladimir Putin is poised to sweep to another six-year term in this week’s presidential election, with full support of the Russian people. Though the Ukraine conflict is grinding through its third year, Russia has more or less gained its main tactical and operational objectives. In spite of the USA and Western Europe’s combined effort to isolate Russia from the rest of the world, Russian has better relationship with BRIC countries, other Asian Countries, African countries and even many in South America. The Russian economy is doing much better than before and it is the Western Europe which is facing the “ heat “.
The all-but-certain outcome of Russian elections comes through his popularity and leadership established during his 24 years in power — the longest Kremlin tenure since Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
Putin, 71, has managed the economy and the Ukraine conflict very well and virtually all his critics. Supporters of Western idea have left the country. The ballot features three other candidates who publicly support Putin policies.
How is the war affecting the election?
Russian Govt has focused the campaign on a pledge to fulfil all Russian goals in Ukraine, as the conflict is a battle against the West for the very survival of Russia and its 146 million people.
In a state-of-the-nation address last month, Putin charged that the U.S. and its NATO allies “need a dependent, waning, dying space in the place of Russia so that they can do whatever they want.”
Putin has clarified that he sent in the troops in February 2022 to protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine and prevent Kyiv from posing a major security threat to Moscow by joining NATO. Ukraine and NATO allies describe the Russian invasion — the largest conflict in Europe since World War II — as an unprovoked act of aggression by the major nuclear power…..all seem to forget the so called Cuban Crisis.
He says Russian forces have the upper hand after the failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year. Ukraine and the West will “sooner or later” have to accept a settlement on Moscow’s terms. Putin praised his troops fighting in Ukraine and promised to make them Russia’s new elite.
Ordinary Russians know that their military’s had a few setbacks in the war, with casualties but they are a determined lot.
The Russian economy’s resilience in the face of non effective Western sanctions is a big factor behind Putin’s grip on power in Russia, a major player in the global energy sector. In fact India and China have bought more oil from Russia than ever. It is the poor Western Europeans who have suffered the most from sanctions on Russian oil and gas.
The economy is expected to grow 2.6% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, compared with the 0.9% expansion predicted in Europe. Inflation is forecast at more than 7% but unemployment remains low.
Military industries have become a key growth engine, with defence plants churning out missiles, tanks and ammunition. Hefty payments to hundreds of thousands of men who signed contracts with the military have helped boost consumer demand, contributing to economic growth.
In his campaign, Putin has promised to extend cheap mortgages subsidized by the government to help young families, particularly those with children, boosting his popularity and energizing the booming construction sector.
He also pledged to pour more government funds into health care, education, science, culture and sports, while continuing efforts to eradicate poverty.
To prevent Western inspired interference, a new law approved days after the start of Ukraine conflict criminalized any public criticism of the war, and protests have become effectively impossible with police swiftly dispersing unauthorized gatherings. The number of arrests, criminal cases and trials have ensured that CIA and its kins are ineffective.
War critics have been openly described as spoiled Western stooges, labelling them as “foam washed away” by his “special military operation.”
His biggest critic, Alexei Navalny, was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges when he died at age 47 in an Arctic penal colony. Other leading opposition figures also got long prison terms comparable to those given to “enemies of the people” during Stalinist repressions. Prominent Kremlin foe, Vladimir Kara-Murza got the harshest sentence of 25 years on treason charges over an anti-war speech.
Many observers expect Putin to toughen his course and escalate the situation for Zelensky. Some say the Kremlin could launch another round of mobilizing reservists to swell the military’s ranks and try to extend its gains in a big, new offensive.
The Kremlin is set to ramp up, casting the country as a besieged fortress facing Western aggression.
Moscow’s foreign policy is likely to become even more aggressive, and Russian authorities may increasingly try to deepen existing divides in the West as well as appealing to conservative circles in the West by promoting the image of Russia as a bulwark of traditional values.
In Moscow’s relations with China, India and countries of the Global South, Putin’s election victory will help cement existing alliances.
