i saw a base model for much too short documentary spine for teen filmmakers. and that's going to be the one for sure full for the taste of the sun from madagascar and foot phone from a new series of africa direct on our protein is running for fits to and then rushes presidential election. the war and ukraine is entering. it stood, yeah, that 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'll be his 5th term 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 align with the countries long term interests. will explore all these issues with all panel in a moment. but 1st, this report from katya lucas hold, are you on, on the latitude and has been in power for decades and as all but guaranteed another presidential term. but you are there still in your opinion, what of what 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 amid of the war and holding the vote and occupied

territories of ukraine schedule. which is to let me be very clear, your participation in the election is the manifestation of patrick take sentiment, 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 more to produce no, maybe life will get better. maybe they'll be peace and people will stop dying. i lost my funding, the will some attribute pollutants political dominance to election irregularities and crackdowns on to sent. 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 why

spread sanctions against him, which it will send through my school. life is good. we live in the center of moscow . when we have a country house, we have a nice kind of good pension. this is a major factor, analysts say is pollutants, ego. formidable challengers have been forced out of the running. and one of his most outspoken critics, alexi nev, only died last month. despite skepticism about free and fair elections, analysts say put a need. so when we 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 what i 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, again, i'll do 0 for insights story let's meet today is guest on the program in moscow. dmitri babich, a russian jew, unless 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 of 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. think 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 off. and it's too close to cool . i'm afraid right now. uh dimitry. i think i can call this one. i think the next president of russia is going to be cold. let them it puts you in. would you agree?

uh, uh, well, uh, i agree with you, but i still think it is an affordable and uh we can see the buyer. so in direct and you gave this, i mean the talked about the selection in the media and brought them all nervous and assumed that the debt also there is a lot all important subscribe to each year. and a least note was about the lease, uh, the upgrade, you know, strikes old business the premium. the site is starting to uh, inputs that portion of ass and brush it by increasing the amount of all the gold strikes. obviously be to show that our president does know absolutely the successful right is 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 part of it, which is, well we, i think it's a very important that'd be a side grab

a side one day to do the reference. do more. because if you are really against the work, 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 of the staff that this is your position. well, the main but need to do a rental. the last i would say 30 years, and that was the decision to start the so me, transportation to 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 available 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 it's policies, i'm the guy and the, the war in ukraine a. so can use to watch that once again, show the decision to invade ukraine back into what does it do? what's the decision that is supported by the majority of preference? 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, within this was so for example, 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 generally very, very popular and he wants to show that in an election. so the 1st lady, people within russia will know about indeed the cause that he gets taken has

a wife for support among the population. but he also wants to show it to the people outside of russia to typically in the, in 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 candidates in russia as well. yeah. you, you register you, you need, um, a, you know, a certain number of signatures uh which, which then allow you to become a calendar just um and then uh, if you are serious, come to this one who will say in public things that are embarrassing to the regime

your disqualified on a variety of spurious crimes such as happened to my guest and who was the only would be serious opposition? candidates in the selection. so it's you know, as my colleagues have said, of this is not in the 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 at least that's what he wants to, to demonstrate. what do 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'd say in the life you keep wrong,

that you would be a serious threat to, to find a bit to just 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 the, so for example, in cross i, yes, you kind of all the steps of the follow up, but she conducted the plebiscites, you know, people supported 40, see the majority to the fresh support did 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 person that i just recently, i watched a speech with the bonus for the news, the swaps for the 20 pounds. so he was a what is your ultimate aim? and you said 3 months old. sure. and that's why not why the food have maybe just success or will be human or even more nationalistic out there was some of the

supports. he said, that's going to be true. what he will have less power. and if he has less power that successful him, then he will be less of a problem for us, you know, and then uh, you know, supports the phone because he is a we, we can rush the pressure, was it, but it was cool. and so i don't know why is my sense uh, do i want to rush it to be a problem for us? well, she for emergencies. yes. i wonder i should to just okay. one pressure to be able to defend itself. so maybe even if i were not concerned except be with the personal one of the i will vote for him precisely because i want to rush should be able to defend themselves. it'd be bold. that is a very powerful sentiment that the interest people to go to contribute, especially the young. you know that the picture provided by the west,

the media. that's all it is a little while support to do is how i think the best generation for the west people and they have suited use them for just who saw all the opportunity just given by the market. they quoted me. the older people will stop put to the mind because they may be grateful looking for read, establishing some kind of more in the coffee and the young people. i know just they have very i sent you mentors. i should, they don't believe even that you would do more see it, they believe in strong. right. or that can be separate so they may vote talk with them besides before the fees because and you are succeeded, you wouldn't be weak or whatever. that's all that should be to get them organized society and alexander, dimitri calls it a plebiscite. that means i suspect that turn out is a key figure to turn out is important. turn out was 67.5 percent in 2018, but there was a protest planned,

i understand it called noon 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 told it may have even been a tactic endorsed by alexi. and if i only before his death, what do you make of of that idea or whether it will have any impact? oh yes, you're right. before his best selection of on it 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, by reading the ballot to do anything you want as long as you're out at 12 pm. now that would say a couple of things about this. first of all, um, raleigh speaking,

of course, they will not have any effect on the outcome of the election time. but from that position points of view, they want to do this to show the russians and to the people outside of russia. there is some, a position that in russia because there's 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, be 100 percent. so that's, that's one, but that's one issue. but the same time, i don't foresee a large number of people coming out of that at 12 pm. so even if some people do want to do that 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 that

this design will 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 pretends 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 russians 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 eve of israel 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 in 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 it's old. i'd like to also look at putins for tunes in the last couple of years could to the war. and

ukraine is a key fact to that a my assessment, i don't know if you agree with me is full chains of improved a great deal in the last year. i the weather. yes, they are indeed because the initial invasion was extremely fine believe bundled in um, in terms of a permit and then come on. and also it was very much uh the, the decision alls urgent and a small group around. and that was not certainly not at that stage, a consensus in the russian establishment or 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 on the 1st is of the state of the military position for russia has improved. the economy has done remarkably well. uh, obviously through energy sales, but oh citrix,

treating the good economic management. it's not seems that they all also cruising able to control inflation. and this has actually led to an economic boom for many industrial areas of russia which have been very depressed over the past generation. being called military kenzie and some what the other thing is that a, a z the involvement of the west and the war on 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, you know, suggested to russians convinced many russians. but yes indeed, of the west is out a twin size of 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 destroyed the russian state. and that's all i like that i'd like to bring up the all the other side of this, if i, if i'm a with you, which is the huge russian death told me that 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 appointed with died and tons of russian soldiers in 10 years. this is in 2 years in the soviet war, and that's kind of starting now. i know you've covered that war. that was just 16000. i mean, you would think there's a big political cost for any lee, but what i need or whatever the system, if you have that many debts, well, if you start 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 was and populations of prepared to accept 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 push in was seen to be trying to continue a was a total victory when there was an honorable and decent way. and then perhaps you would see much more on these and even all physician within russia and encouraging and rushing that needs. but we haven't done that. and as chemist. um,

you know, like the american war and that's kind of some, um for the rocco, he's in vietnam. i was not seen by soviet society as a truly vital lived existential war for 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 don't come from moscow in saint petersburg. so could things be a bit different in the selection? well here's an interesting uh oh uh that came out with just recently as i mentioned just just the previously what's in this book, an average of aging is around 86 percent kind of a recent independent people also showed about 75 percent of russians

support which in signing uh to go magic agreements to do and the war and the such agreement with the design tomorrow, then, you know, since 5 percent of the respiration would approve. uh 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. this has been added to the view this as an existential one is not just the gays ukraine, but i a close by was at the same time due to the fact that as you mentioned, that have been 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, on russia's times. but nevertheless, the, there is no appetite at the moment in russia to continue it as well and indefinitely. of course, one reason it says that the machine is the casualties and the best,

but of course the, the economics side of it as well. even though the west and sanctions against russia have failed to destroy the russian economy. but the budget, the russian russian state is, is going towards the war, which means that of course, the budget is limited when it comes to digitization to go into development, healthcare, etc. and of course, that's up in the long then of course, well said russia 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 impact dimitry. one of the key figures in the early stage of the wall 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 the rebellion marching on moscow, he died. many suspect the kremlin. there's no proof of that for 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 you well that authority is, was uh, basically really bad the you see, you need to know whether or not so bad to receive the wage. i think the main theme is steel and i agree with the be this to speakers with that is all the people that i think i'm going to pulled up. those are the groups is yeah, your role that may be a ser uh. proportional russian society would not approve the start of the, you know, they were not people without consulting that,

but now the majority was not the re to and the districts, which means that the feed for, right. so there is a kind of a consensus that these will work a lot and with roger does, this is something that well, absolutely requires past, which kind of these data us and these idea that the war should not, with the rest of the feed, it is solely what the situation the people are ready to shop there are, it's just on a very 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, i'm sorry, i mean, let me just go to the cold war in the news weeks, magazines, uh, you know, to these yeah. inside that you bring in to machine. so the, you know,

thought it is, you know, high, the fact that the assessing the people in that they do a rush or they assessing needs. it's, donna, do get that the sites, or maybe it was all the make. noticed a new time told about a such a new p card. oh steve, the auction, all people who are hotel within the last bus would reveal it flashes the hutto. so as long possible. yeah. so basically, when you have uh destinations which would have been approved by the your partner just, you'll pay less attention to, to shave your story soon, which is not clear what bottom gotcha state weight. and you also can exactly about that. and that's all, what do you think vladimir putin wants to achieve? we assume he'll be elected in the next 6 years i'm. but as i always say, you have to ask him. i mean, the, 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. and i want to pause in ukraine and it doesn't look possible not for ukraine to, to full structure of military. um, 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 shouldn't be bought from joining nato. the, the only way to explore putin's 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 then you claim that i by no means i think indicates that

off to that as present by crow, i would say of surgery is, suggest just today or yesterday. and that person will then go on to attack romania and po to you, not as nonsense of the russia has no interest in that pollution is repeatedly stressed. the russia has no interest or intention. and because the, the risks would be come also compared to, to any gains from russia about in ukraine, a cushion is determined to prevail. how sol prevail? well, that we should try to explore. i mean, we will explore it, we will explore it so going forward. thank you very much to all 3 of you. we'll see about guest dimitri babich. i'm gonna tell leven and alex on the klaxon alger 0. we'll have extensive coverage of the election from our teams in russia. and you can find more context and allows us on the alex's or website houses or adult calm. what

are your views on russian coaching? go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you'll also find this on the former twitter now x at h a inside story for me, james space and the team here in bo hall, 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. so i'm going to tell station is to allow you then people are surrounding it. sparks goes with the flower just hard to break it and show us the level of difficulty because of the shortage of humanitarian aid. we have no blankets, 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. water sheds, moments international law is vehicle. be this model 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 antibiotic bigotry, that a sama fob. yeah. but these are acceptable forms of, of hates upfront one out of here. this ship is home to survivors of losses. earthquakes, and took care of floating hotel, its features, rooms, a dining hall and entertainment facilities. social workers over lessons to president, still recovering from the or, or to 4 to 5 year olds. good note is scared of entering your building after the earthquake destroyed her home. luckily we have the sea and we are leaving on a ship bill, a small well hey, we our family and eventually they have something to look for for it to the

amusement park reopened, giving many here for the life is a loss of returning to normal. their playing nothing but the trauma is never far away. the on monday inside in doha here, top stories on out is there. health officials in gaza say is really strikes have killed $63.00, palestinian in the last 24 hours. the all new there is refugee camp has come under intense blooming campaign. in the last few hours, at least 7 people were killed and several inches and were taken to the hospital. how decisions have been morning, the victims of an overnight attack in which thousands were killed in central gauze? this is randy at cross talking to the house. also in the deserts count kings,

36 people from the same family. most of them are women and children and another is rarely a strike has destroyed a 7 story bill.