Russia’s parliamentary election results were predictable but what comes next matters

The result of Russia’s tightly controlled parliamentary election was never in serious doubt: a resounding win for the ruling United Russia party, which fervently backs President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The fact that genuine political opposition to the Kremlin and its costly war has been effectively silenced in recent years made the outcome of the ballot – the first parliamentary elections since 2021, before the Ukraine war began – all the more inevitable. The only remaining opposition party calling for an end to the war, Yabloko, was barred from taking part. Even before the vote, Putin told Russians the election would showcase Read More.....