Russia's presidential election begins today. Here are 3 reasons Putin will win.

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

52% : But experts note that two years of war has created a "rally round the flag" effect that benefits Mr. Putin, even as it has further alienated the minority of anti-Kremlin activists and war opponents, and subjected them to greater repression.
43% : More recently, the always fragmented and fractious political opposition has been hollowed out by arrests of many leading figures on grounds of anti-war agitation.
42% : "Out of 110 cases we were involved in in 2023, we only managed to save 20 people from prison terms," Mr. Anisimov says.
35% : Dmitry Anisimov, press spokesperson for OVD-Info, a group that helps victims of political repression, says it's becoming much harder to defend people accused of anti-war activity because the courts no longer listen to legal arguments that might exonerate them.

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