In a Russia at war, there is only one real candidate and only one winner: Vladimir Putin.
As Russians begin voting in March 15-17 elections across the country’s 11 time zones, the 71-year-old former KGB lieutenant colonel’s popularity is high amid strong support for the war. in Ukraine.
“I support Putin and, of course, I will vote for him,” said Lyudmila Petrova, 46, who was buying counterfeit Chinese-made New Balance sneakers in southern Moscow at one of Russia’s biggest wholesale markets.
“Putin raised Russia from its knees. And Russia will defeat the West and Ukraine. You cannot defeat Russia – ever,” Petrova said. “Have you in the West gone completely crazy? What does Ukraine have to do with you?”
The West views Putin as an autocrat, a war criminal, a murderer and even, as US President Joe Biden said last month, a “crazy SOB” who US officials say has enslaved Russia in a corrupt dictatorship that leads to strategic ruin.
But in Russia, the war helped Putin reinforce his power and increase his popularity with Russians, according to polls and interviews with high-ranking Russian sources.
