just as they marched from the gauze of order to west jerusalem from the heart of the story on my left, mazda has been to the police, lost in the news release. they have no place where everywhere is nowhere safe. vladimir putin is running for fits to him and rushes presidential election. the war and ukraine is entering, it stood yeah, not home. he's accused of cracking down on political opponents. so what, what another 6, he is a puts in mean for russia. this is inside story. the hello there on james bays, russians are heading to the polls to elect to president for the next 6. he is. if lot of it putting wins as is widely expected, it will be his fist to him in office. critics describe him as a ruthless dictator. supporters say he's the resilient leader russian needs.

however, his policy is a shifting alonso is an altering most goes ties with your and the us. that's the invasion of ukraine, nuclear threats and the changing world rolled up. so we'll put in defined, rushes, future for years to come and is his political vision aligned with the countries long term interest. we'll explore all these issues with all panel in a moment. but 1st this report from katya lucas hold. are you on the latitude and has been in power for decades and as all but guaranteed another presidential term that you are there. so in your opinion, what about for years he's energized supporters and terrified critics. and now as he looks towards another 6 years in office, he's calling for patriotism a mid of the war and holding the vote and occupied territories of ukraine schedule . which just to let me be very clear, the participation in the election is the manifestation of culture y'all take sent

and the residence of don't bass and never see a well aware of that as a vote for unification with russia. in the harshest conditions, more than a 114000000 russians are eligible to cast their ballots. 2 years after russia invaded ukraine, many are hoping the fighting will end. harder for use, know, maybe like we'll get better. maybe they'll be peace and people will stop dying. i lost my son in the war he some a tribute pollutants political dominance to election irregularities and crackdowns on descent. the former k g b agent has centralized power and beta, georgia, and ukraine, and threat to nuclear war with western nations. supporters find his strong man, policies attractive, and even critics admit he's managed to keep rushes. economy afloat despite of widespread sanctions against him, which is your 1st 3 months career. life is good. we live in the center of moscow. when we have a country house, we have a nice kind of good pension. a major factor analysts say is pollutants,

ego. formidable challengers have been forced out of the running, and one of his most outspoken critics, the alexia valley, died last month, despite skepticism about free and fair elections. analysts say put a need, so when to validate this policy need, we are not expecting a good outcome. like always, everything will be bad. well, some voters may be ready for change. an entire generation has never known of russia without food. and it just depends on where the people i've seized power in my country and i've had a grip on it for the last 25 years. why should i leave the country? it's time for them to leave or go to prison for, for, to put in as already rush, as long as serving leaders. as joseph, sullen and constitutional changes he promoted in 2020. could see him hold office until 2036 cots. he a little bit. so the yen, i'll do 0 for inside story. let's meet today

is guest on the program in moscow. dmitri babich, a russian journalist with more than 30 years experience. he's coming 8 to russian elections in washington, dc and a to leave and the director of the razor program at the quincy institute, a responsible state croft and all through the several books about russia and its neighbors. and in london, it's alex on the tax and the founder of the global political insight fink turn cars, research specializes in russia and former soviet states saying to all of you for joining us as we preview the russian election. and i've covered many of elections around the world and often then nail biting things often. it's too close to cool. i'm afraid right now. uh dimitry. i think i can call this one. i think the next presidential roster is going to be cold. platinum. it puts in, would you agree? uh, uh, well, uh, i agree with you, but i still think it is an order and uh, we can see the buyer. so in direct and you gave this,

i mean the talked about the selection of the media and brought them all nervous and assumed that media also there is a lot of important subscribe to here. and uh, least know was about the least. uh, the ukrainian strikes old business, the premium, the site is starting to uh, inputs of that portion of ass and washer by increasing the amount of our old gold strikes. obviously, you know, be to show that our president does not absolutely successful, right? there's not a secure got you. so someone cares about the details of the selection of the outcome. i agree with you. uh, most likely a, by the way we are, they think it's a very important that'd be a side grab a side one page if you the reference do more because if you are really against the wall, you can stay from what would you know you can go with the games someone else,

so then the body to them. i think everyone in the sense that this is your position . well the main but need to do it. randall, the last i would say 30 years, and that was the decision to stop is so many transportation bring some of this, i would think alexandra is about the kremlin, trying to show the legitimacy of the government in moscow. let me read you a tweet that i read earlier wrong just a couple of hours ago from the european council. president shaw michelle. he said i would like to congratulate platinum and putting on his landslide victory in the election starting today. no opposition? no freedom, no choice, if it's about legitimacy, then that does really well, does it, if it's a robust done collection? well not from the company's point of view. it's really a lot because in addition to what you, it comes to the criminal, it wants to show unit, see, it puts you in. it has frequently spoken about the fact that russia is united

because policies are behind the war in ukraine. so can you still watch that once again, show the decision to invade ukraine back into it? does it do, was a decision that is supported by the majority of russians, and there is um, a somewhat of a difference here between to support and the um, the direction that the rest of the people once a day grew up within this um, within this was so for example, uh, put in is generally both of the in russia, there was a pole in february of this year showing that his ratings uh, somewhere around 86 percent. which stuff because the sky high. so he is genuinely, very, very popular. and he wants to show that in an election so that firstly, people within russia will know about indeed the cause that he gets taken has a life for support among the population. but he also wants to show it to the people outside of russian. typically in the countries in the west to essentially say,

look, you might not be happy with me, but the people that live in the country that i rule, that in favor of what i'm doing. so you better get used to it. and it's all, they're all actually full of people on the list. the people can vote for pushing is just one of them. but we know that putin, we've already said it is, is going to wait and just explain a little bit about the system and how you get to be a candidate in russia as well. yeah. you after you register you, you need, um a, you know, a certain number of signatures uh which, which then allow you to become a kind of just, um and then uh, if you are a serious kind as one who will say in public things that are embarrassing to the regime your disqualified on a variety of spurious grounds, such as happened to my guest and it was the only would be serious the position

candidates in the selection. so it's you know, as my colleagues have said, of this is not an election. it's a, it's a propaganda direct society, which is a very important or propaganda exercise for food and demonstrating the yes, i mean, the solidarity of society behind the book, at least that's what he wants to demonstrate. would you agree with that dimitry? i mean, some might say that the real opposition candidates in russia are either enact, saw in prison all the dead. well, i don't think there are very strong opposition candidates who can change food. you know, the, i don't think even if i said in the life these people are wrong, that you would be a serious threat to provide a bit to, to uh, even pull its various needs propaganda exercise. i work for the ladies side. uh,

but uh there is such a thing, you know, in the, in the, in world history, you know, the, so for example, in cross i, yes, you tried all the steps of the fall, but she conducted the play besides, you know, people supported, she supported see the majority to the phrase supported it, and that was the base of just follow the same story with the fulton and i'm afraid of uh, west you don't want to make that happen. for example, the me personally, just recently i watched a speech with the bonus for the news. there are other swap seaports to get the 20 pounds. so he was not what is your ultimate team? and you said 3 months old. sure. and that's why not why the student, maybe just successor will be. you want more even more nationalistic out there with them and see what you said. that's going to be true. what you will have less power . and if you have less follow up that successor, then she will be less of

a problem for us, you know. and then uh, you know, she pushed the phone because he's a we, we can rush other fresh coffee. it was a friend. well, and so i don't know why is my sense uh, do i want to rush it to be a problem for us while she for emergencies? yes. i wonder i should to be strong. okay. one pressure to be able to defend itself . so maybe even if i were not concerned except be with the person or whatever, i will vote which you precisely be was i was to russia to be able to defend himself . it'd be paul. that is a very powerful sentiment that the interest people to go to contribute, especially the young. you know that the big chip provided by the west of media that all these a little while support good users. oh, i think the best generation for the web people in there, so use them for just cool. so all of the opportunity just given by the market,

you quoted me. the older people will stop for do the 9 because they may be grateful . duplicate for read. establishing some kind of more in the coffee and the young people. i know just they have very i sent you, mentor, should they don't believe in the you wouldn't be more see it, they believe in strong. right. or that can be separate, so they may vote whichever besides before the fees, because in your while succeeded in what the week or whatever that's fall less would be to get them organized. society as alexander dimitry calls it a plebiscite. that means i suspect that turn out is a key figure to turn out is important. turnout was 67.5 percent in 2018, but there was a protest plan die on the stand that called noun against putin. when protest is a trying to use to announce as well, to get as many people to posting stations at one moment,

12 noon on sunday. and i've told it may have even been a tactic endorsed by like, seen about me before his death. what do you make of, of that idea or whether it will have any impact? well, yes, you're right before his best, alex and i finally did indeed post on his social media pages, asking to support us to come out at 12 pm on sunday as a protest vote following his that it was his wife. few nearby legs who essentially made the same announcement to, you know, to the, to the position in russian, asking them to, to come out at 12 pm and either write down alex in about his name on the ballot. or just um, you know, but really the volatile or do anything you want as long as you're out at 12 pm. now, that would say a couple things about this. first of all, broadly speaking, of course, they will not have any effect on the outcome of the election high, but from that position point of view, they want to do this to show the russians and to the people outside of russia.

there is some, a position letter in russia because there is a general consensus of cause the, there's no, uh, you know, the united a position in the country. and so from, from the police report of you, they want to show a look. we asked. yeah, we do exist, don't consider russia to be just 100 percent behind present. so that's, that's one, but that's one issue. but at the same time, i don't foresee a large number of people coming out at 12 pm. so even if some people do want to do that, that's because the fee factor is, is quite important. that to, you know, there's, there's been a lot of refreshments in, in russia recently, especially after the start of the war. we've been a lot of arrests and it's um, well it's not likely that many people will really risk coming out. come out, this is fine. we'll reduce of the fear of being arrested. okay, i'd like to add a little bit of context at this point and look back a lot of it pollutants rise to power. he was 1st elected president in 2000 and re

elected in 2004 in 2008. the constitution bought him for running for 3rd consecutive to so he's appointed prime minister and effectively remained rushes political leader to run again in 2012 off the changes to the constitution extended the presidential term from 4 to 6 years. tens of thousands of people protested on the provisional gratian. but in 2018 he was re elected once again. and if he wins this time around to, to most of the 6 years, and then 2030, he'll be eligible to run again. if he wins, then he could be in power until 2036, when he will be 183 years old. and so i'd like to also look at putins for tunes in the last couple of years. go to the war. and ukraine is a key fact to that a my assessment, i don't know if you agree with me is for teams that have improved

a great deal in the last year. the weather. yes, they are indeed because the initial invasion was extremely badly bundled in um, in terms of apartment and then come on. and also it was very much the decision alls huge and i'm just small group around and that was not certainly not at that stage. a consensus in the russian establishment door leads of behind this war. and as a result, russia suffered some very serious defeats in the 1st year of the war. but since then, 2 things have happened. and the 1st is of the state of the military position for russia has improved. the economy has done remarkably well, obviously through energy sales, but also tricks treating the good. you cannot make management, it's not seems that they'll also proving able to control inflation. and this has

actually led to an economic boom of so many industrial areas of russia which have been very depressed over the past generation. it's being called military kenzie and then some what the other thing is that a, a z the involvement of the west and the war from the ukrainian side in terms of supplies and the language of western leaders. and what about each of the quoted radicals? p, for example, has really usually suggested to russians convinced many russians. but yes, indeed, the west is out to impose a total defeat on russia and ukraine. this is what the ukranian cycled piece, dining dos by the west amends too. and that the goat is not just the defeat of

russia and ukraine, but it is also as a result to cripple or even destroy the russian state. and that's all i like that i'd like to bring up the all the, the other side of this, if i, if i'm a with you, which is the huge russian death, told them no one scope, the accurate figures. but you look at the estimates and they write them a huge range, but they will show a massive loss of life between 60020000 people killed. and i compare this earlier to the number of people that are pointed to a died and tons of russian soldiers in 10 years. this is in 2 years in the soviet war, enough kind of stop. no, no, you covered that war. that was just 16000. i mean, you would think there's a big political cost for any li, but it was any lead or whatever the system if you have that many debts. well, if you start to losing, then yes, a box. if the unit, if the conviction is the defeat, will mean ruin. and if you can pay and supply fuel searches and

the population is more or less behind you, then as we've seen again and again in many rules and populations are prepared to accept are remarkably high casualties. now is the west west to offer a compromise piece. then we don't know how the russian population would react. i think that is pushing was seen to be trying to continue a loss of total victory when there was an honorable and decent way. and then perhaps you would see much more on these and even opposition within rusher and encouraging interruption. that leads. but we haven't done that and established um, you know, like the american war and that's kind of some 40 rocco. yeah. and then i was not

seen by soviet society as a truly, if i lived existential russia, this war is broken off. you alexander, about this and the perceived wisdom normally is that the opposition are strong in the cities. and the regions where i put in is much stronger, but i'm right in saying on type many of the conscripts so being sent to ukraine does come from moscow in st. petersburg. so could things be a bit different in the selection? well here's an interesting uh oh uh, but keep mileage just recently as i mentioned just just the previously questions. but collaborative aging is around 86 percent kind of a recent independent people also showed that 75 percent of russians support which in signing a to go magic agreements to, to end the war and the such agreement with the design tomorrow. then, you know,

since 5 percent of the russian population who would approve of well, what does that tell me that broadly as, as my colleagues explain, russia does support the whole, the concept of the voice. you like that this has been added to the view this as an existential one is not just against ukraine, but i a close by was at the same time due to the fact that the is you mention that it being a lot of that some casualties on the russian side, there is a broad interest and desire from, from the russian population to see it answered as well. um, no, of course, on russia's times, but nevertheless, the, there is no appetite at the moment in russia to continue this war indefinitely. of course, one reason is that of my son is the casualties and the best. but of course the, the economic side of it as well. even though the west and sanctions against russia had failed to destroy the russian economy. but the, the budget,

the russian russian state is, it is going towards the war, which means that of course, the budget is limited when it comes to the education to go into development, health care, etc. and of course, that's up in the long then, of course, was a dresser, can, can, can handle such, such economic pressures. at the moment, the longer the world goes on, the longer the more the, the people in russia, and we'll feel that it's in fact, dmitri, one of the key figures in the early stage of the war was, you have got any progression of the head of the wagner group, it was less than a year ago, the 23rd of june, last year, when he launched a rebellion marching on moscow, he died. many suspect the criminal in there's no proof of that proof of that. now you have alexi, nevada, in the, in the last month who has died. how do you see these, these 2 deaths in the context of pollutants power in russia right now and how

things have changed in the last year? oh i think really good piece is low, but use well that i thought i'd be asleep was uh basically a really bad the received. you need to know whether it was not so bad received is the wrong population. i think the main theme is still and i agree with the b b as to speakers and that is all the people that i think i'm going to pulled up on one of those articles. so it is. yeah, your role that may be a certain portion of russian society would not approve the start of the, you know, they were not people without consulting that but now the majority was nothing re to and the districts which means that the feed for us. so there is a kind of a consensus that this will work

a lot and we brought to the dc. this is something that the web absolutely requires past, which have this data us. and these idea that the war should not, with the rest of the feed, it is solely what the situation that people are ready to shut their eyes. you're starting to bury seemly, things happening. the reason why i think people are not paid so much attention as the west except expected. there is a real key, didn't complain. well, the wind new side, i mean let me just go to the curb one in the use weeks magazine and uh, you know, to these yeah. inside that you bring in to machine. so uh, are you ready? oh, sorry. just to know. hi, the fact that the assess and the people that they do a router they assess and needs, it's donna, do get that the sites or maybe it was all to make noticed

a big move time to develop a such a new p card on those dates that are all people who are not built within the last bus would reveal it flashes the funeral. so awesome. yeah. so basically when you have uh, nations which might have been approved by the you bring your partner just you'll pay less. so there's 2. do shady storage soon. which is not clear what bottom gotcha state way. and you also can exactly about that. i know it's all what do you think we're glad to move it? who tend once to achieve? we assume he'll be elected in the next 6 years. as i always say, you have to ask him. i mean, that's why i advocate the west trying to initiate a piece towards pollution has made clear that russia will not withdrawal from the territories. it not multiplies in ukraine,

and it doesn't look possible not for ukraine to, to full structure i'd militarily. but what that means in practice, what demilitarization means in, in practice, in ukraine, what exactly russia is demanding. what the notification means. we don't know. we do know that an absolute russian condition is that ukraine should be bought from joining nato. the, the only way to explore pigeons, precise goes in, in ukraine, is to open negotiations with him. but clearly, i mean, one thing is pushing is determined not to be seen to lose and not to lose to achieve what can you know, what, what, what time be called a victory and in ukraine that i, by no means i think, indicates that off to that as president macro, i would say of surgery has suggested just today or yesterday,

and that person will then go on to attack romania and po to the notch as nonsense of the russia has no interest in that. preaching has repeatedly stressed the russia has no interest or intention. uncles the, the risks would be come also compared to, to any gains. so russia about in ukraine, the boots in is determined to prevail, have fall, prevail? well, that we should try to explore. i mean, we will explore it and we will explore it. so going forward. thank you very much. to all 3 of you. we'll see about guest, dimitri babich, and to, to leave and, and alex on the klaxon. ouch. is there a little have extensive coverage of the election from our teams in russia, and you can find more context and the loudness on the out? is there a website? ours is, are adult calm? what are your views on russian coaching? go to our facebook page at facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you'll also find this on the former twitter now x at

a j inside story for me james space and the team here in dough. ha, please stay safe. i'll be back in this thing. very soon bye. for now, the salvation is being used as a what the only way to stop cutting causation is to allow you then people are surrounding it. sparks gold with the flour just hard to break it and show us the level of difficulty because of the shortage of humanitarian aid. we have no blanket, no food, and no rule to. i prefer the desk to this humiliation. moore is not killed us yet. it seems that we will die of hunger and can't find food. people say that they're stuck between death, star bases and displacements, the in an increasingly complex world, it's paramount to be direct capture walter sheds moments. international law is

vehicles be this month on sort of discussions that come through the noise is real, operates under climate of absolute infinity. we challenge conventional wisdom. how does it affect you? how does it affect the community a sense that message that and the out of bigotry that a sama fob. yeah. but these are acceptable forms of, of hates upfront one out as you 2 weeks ago, the government of china now was to hike in the price of fuel, was later it declared an emergency in areas of food and nutrition. the united nations listed chide is one of the world's most insecure countries in terms of food supply, mainly due to the impact of climate change. the one foot program size, the food in these warehouses. it has 4017 percent of child support the nation. that's 2900000 people for depend on the toner supplies. it's for, for flushed out, especially now the age is popular to or know many draw

the the here are watching the news, our life, or my headquarters in dow heim, daddy. you navigate that. here's what's coming up in the next 60 minutes. another day of israel's carnage and gaza, dozens of palestinians are killed when their homes come under attack. in the north and central parts of the strip, the doctors are reporting that they no longer see normal size baby. cuz in reality phase where a man made sign is taking hold.