JRL NEWSWATCH: “The drama in Russia’s election is all about what Putin will do with another 6 years in power” – AP
“… [Russian] voting … conclud[ing] … Sunday is all but certain to allow Putin to remain in office until 2030, giving him a full three decades of leading Russia as either president or prime minister. … [T]hat long tenure and the thorough suppression of effective domestic opposition voices gives Putin a very strong — and perhaps unrestrained — hand … bolstered by the Russian economy’s surprising resilience despite … sanctions …. Putin … would head into a new term with few obvious restraints … [T]hat could manifest itself quickly in major new actions. … Alexandra Vacroux … posits that Russia within several years will make an attempt to assess NATO’s commitment to … the alliance’s common defense guarantee ….”