Russia Has Re-Elected Putin. What Next?

Two years after his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has once again been declared the winner in Russia’s sham presidential election. The vote extends his time in the Kremlin to at least 2030.

What does the formal renewal of Putin’s mandate mean for the future of the country? Will it affect the Kremlin’s approach to the war in Ukraine and the Russian regime’s ability to conduct another mass mobilization? Should we expect a reshuffle in the Russian leadership, and how might any personnel changes affect the political system going forward?

To unpack the complex challenges Putin’s re-election presents to the West, Ukraine, and Russia itself, an online discussion was held with Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center experts Alexander Baunov and Alexandra Prokopenko. The event was moderated by Financial Times Russia correspondent Polina Ivanova.