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Russians go to the polls today in the first presidential election since their country invaded Ukraine two years ago.
The war was expected to carry a steep cost for President Vladimir V. Putin. Valerie Hopkins, who covers Russia for The Times, explains why the opposite has happened.
On today’s episode

Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading
Mr. Putin, in pre-election messaging, was less strident on nuclear war.
What to know about Russia’s 2024 presidential vote.
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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.
Fact-checking by Susan Lee and Milana Mazaeva.
Translations by Milana Mazaeva.
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