Israel Faces Tough Balancing Act on Russia and the West
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu treads lightly with President Vladimir Putin. Russia is not responding in kind, with public criticism increasing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu treads lightly with President Vladimir Putin. Russia is not responding in kind, with public criticism increasing.
A day after a rubber-stamp presidential election, President Vladimir Putin said he would not back down in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Many Russians say they back their president, but it is far less clear what they might do if they were given alternatives.
President Vladimir V. Putin is expected to use the scale of his victory to justify more aggression in Ukraine. Many Russians are uneasy about what comes next.
Yulia Navalnaya, who has vowed to carry on her husband’s work, waited in line for hours with voters outside of the Russian embassy.
Many appeared to be heeding a call by the opposition to express frustration by showing up en masse at midday. “We don’t have any other options,” said one woman.
While there is little doubt about the vote’s outcome, there is concern that an emboldened President Putin may use a win to start a new war mobilization.
While there is little doubt about the vote’s outcome, there is concern that an emboldened President Putin may use a win to start a new war mobilization.
The surprise attacks, timed to Russia’s election, are meant to undermine the sense of stability in Russia and divert the country’s military resources from Ukraine.
Russia is holding a presidential vote in the occupied regions of Ukraine to try to legitimize its rule there, expose dissenters and present a veneer of democracy.