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This Is Why

Putin's power – why Russia's election matters

This Is Why

Sky News

News Commentary, Daily News, News

4.0552 Ratings

🗓️ 15 March 2024

⏱️ 22 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As Russians go to the polls, the outcome is certainly already written as Vladimir Putin runs pretty much uncontested in his bid for a fifth term in office.   

Opposition candidates were banned from standing, fled the country or are dead - like Putin's most prominent critic, Alexei Navalny.   

So, what will another six years of rule mean for Russians, the war in Ukraine and the world?  
On the Daily, Sky's Tom Cheshire looks at Putin's grip on power over the years as he's joined by our international correspondent Diana Magnay, who spent the past six years reporting from Moscow for us.   

Plus, Tom talks to former British spy Christopher Steele - who previously ran MI6's Russia desk - about what challenges to Putin there could be. 
 
Podcast producer: Sydney Pead   
Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles  
Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce
Editor: Wendy Parker

Transcript

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1:01.5

Hello, I'm Tom Cheshire and this is the Daily. Now, 2024 is a year of elections, but

1:07.6

it's not always a festival of democracy. And that's true this week because Russia

1:12.0

is the one going to the polls. Vladimir Putin is already the longer serving ruler of Russia since

1:18.7

Stalin. So if, and it's not a big if, but if he wins, he'll get another six years, which would

1:24.0

put him on level pegging with Uncle Joe.

1:32.0

Now, even by Putin's standards, these are not free or fair elections.

1:36.6

And we're discussing what the charade tells us about his grip on Russia with former British spy Christopher Steele.

1:38.7

But before that, Diana Magne, now our international correspondent, she was Sky's

1:43.2

person in Moscow for many years.

1:45.7

And her first job for us there was to cover the last presidential election six years ago.

1:50.2

So Diana, how does this election compare to that years?

1:53.9

I mean, it was the same deal. You know, the majority of the Russian public would have voted for Vladimir Putin.

...

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