As Vladimir Putin steals the Russian election, our leaders are shamefully silent

If such an obviously rigged poll were being held in Iran or Zimbabwe, there would be screams of outrage from the west

Russia will vote in presidential elections next month that Vladimir Putinis certain to win. Consider that statement for a moment. An election implies a contest. So how can the current president, who has already served three terms and wielded power in the Kremlin continuously since 1999, be assured of victory in advance?

The answer is that Russia’s is an election in name only. In truth it is a sham and a smokescreen, designed to confer democratic respectability on to a corrupt oligarchy. For Russians accustomed to unaccountable rule from on high, this is nothing new. More surprising is the supine acquiescence, bordering on complicity, of western democracies.