Sure of Re-Election, Putin Barely Appears on Campaign Trail
- Kremlin seeks high turnout as endorsement of Putin victory
- Putin heads for fourth term in presidential election on Sunday
Russia Tempers Response to U.S. Sanctions Before Election
With days to go before Russia’s presidential election, Vladimir Putin has barely campaigned for a victory that’s all but assured. Even in Crimea, the peninsula he seized to the joy of many Russians, Putin spent only a few minutes at a rally this week to thank supporters who waited hours to see him.
Amid widespread public apathy about the outcome and discontent over stagnating living standards, the Kremlin’s only challenge is to ensure turnout for Sunday’s vote is sufficiently high to give Putin’s record fourth term a stamp of legitimacy. Regional officials are resorting to inducements ranging from free food to prize contests to lure voters to the polls as Putin extends his rule to 2024.