Memo to the West: Stop Giving Russians Reasons to Love Putin
Haters Shouldn't Be Surprised That Their Mockery Only Makes Vlad Stronger
On Sunday, Sept. 18, millions of Russians went to the polls in national legislative elections that delivered Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party a decisive win, netting more half the popular vote and three-quarters of seats in the Duma, Russia’s parliament. Unlike five years ago, when tens of thousands of people stood out in the snow to protest for free and fair elections, there were few cries of fraud, and no discernible protests. Instead, Putin’s cause was aided by a low voter turnout that you can read as a sign of …
