Putin wins election condemned as neither free nor fair

Russian Presidential Election

Russian officials declared Vladimir Putin the winner, reporting 87 per cent of the vote, around 76 million supporters and 74 per cent turnout. The U.K. and EU condemned the election. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the result underscored the depth of repression in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the election an illegitimate imitation and accused Putin of seeking to rule indefinitely.

The War in Ukraine and What Comes Next

Correspondent Dominic Waghorn said the war in Ukraine was central to the election and that Putin might treat the result as a mandate to continue or intensify it. Putin warned that Western troops in Ukraine could bring the world to the brink of a third world war.

Waghorn noted concerns that the Kremlin could use the post-election period to introduce unpopular measures, potentially including another mobilization or further crackdowns on dissent.

Guest Bill Browder warned that Putin could mobilize more men, devote additional resources to the war and threaten the West. He said the West’s response—particularly whether it continues supporting Ukraine—would help determine the conflict’s course and could affect the risk of a wider confrontation with NATO.

Opposition and Repression

Browder called the election a “complete farce,” citing the imprisonment, exile and killing of political opponents, as well as the Kremlin’s control of television. He argued that the reported result did not demonstrate genuine public support and suggested Putin might have only 10–15 per cent support in a free and fair contest.

Browder interpreted election-day acts of defiance—including protests at polling places and people lining up at noon—as signs of opposition, despite the risks of surveillance and punishment. He said growing repression could eventually contribute to an uprising, though its timing was unpredictable.

Frozen Russian Assets

Browder advocated seizing roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian central-bank assets and transferring them to Ukraine. He said support for the idea had grown in the U.K. and U.S., while EU countries remained divided, with Hungary among the likely obstacles. He argued that Putin’s actions could eventually persuade European governments to agree.

Presenters and Contributors

• Heather Hiscox, host
• Dominic Waghorn, correspondent
• Bill Browder, guest