The Succession Dilemma

While Russians have yet to cast their votes in the March 18 presidential election, Vladimir Putin's victory is already a foregone conclusion. Putin, with near certainty, will prove both his critics and supporters right by winning an essentially uncontested election that will keep him in the Kremlin for another six years. With consistent approval ratings of over 80 percent and no viable political opposition, the election will confirm Putin's hold on Russia’s political system, which he has dominated for 18 years. His impending victory will also cap a series of political shifts across some of the world's most geopolitically consequential states, in which autocrats are tightening their control to the detriment of internal and international stability. Despite President Trump's affinity for strongman rulers, these dynamics should cause concern within the Administration....