To the West he is public enemy number one: snatching land from his neighbours, interfering in foreign elections and unveiling weapons that he says render Washington’s missile defence systems obsolete.
But despite , or because of, his reputation abroad, Vladimir Putin is still widely popular in Russia and is all but guaranteed to win a presidential election this week with a landslide.
In part this is because over almost two decades in power he has cracked down on dissent and consolidated Kremlin control over the media.
The president’s most vocal opponent is also barred from appearing on the ballot on March 18 owing …read more
Source: African news network 7
