The Kremlin has been actively preparing for the election, crafting themes and promoting Putin's image to stir popular enthusiasm
However, for Putin to genuinely bolster his political mandate, he must effectively renew public support, despite the expected reelection, analysts say. Over the past year, the Kremlin has been actively preparing for the election, crafting themes and promoting Putin's image to stir popular enthusiasm. “A resounding show of national unity behind Putin’s war effort would further bolster his legitimacy while standing in sharp contrast to Ukraine’s anxiety about the battlefield situation and the West’s mounting fatigue over supporting the war,” Thomas E. Graham, a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said.
Among the remaining candidates are 75-year-old Nikolai Kharitonov, representing the local Communist Party, who typically secures second place behind Putin, albeit by a considerable margin. Despite criticising some of Putin's domestic policies, Kharitonov supports Russia's war in Ukraine. “Putin will have no genuine rivals in the upcoming election, but the Kremlin is still keen to project the impression of competition, seeking to draw Russians’ attention to the intrigue of who will come second,” said Yulia Mineeva, New Generation Europe Foundation Academy Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme.