Why does this election matter? The presidential vote in Russia, which begins Friday and lasts through Sunday, features the trappings of a horse race but is more of a predetermined, Soviet-style referendum. President Vladimir V. Putin, 71, will undoubtedly win a fifth term, with none of the three other candidates who are permitted on the ballot presenting a real challenge. The main opposition figure who worked to spoil the vote, Aleksei A. Navalny, a harsh critic of Mr. Putin and the Ukraine war, died in an Arctic prison last month. Still, the vote is significant for Mr. Putin as a way to cement his legitimacy and refurbish his preferred image as the embodiment of security and stability.

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Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Aleksei A, Mr, ”, Nikolay Petrov Organizations: Kremlin, German Institute for International and Security Affairs Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Berlin