President Vladimir Putin has dominated Russian politics since he succeeded Boris Yeltsin as president in 1999. However, Putin's decision to invade Ukraine has received broad international condemnation (Guardian). He swiftly squashed domestic criticism and protests from Russian citizens, but it is unclear how his hold on power will be affected by a prolonged war or the devastating economic and financial sanctions that have been levied against him, Russian oligarchs, and the Russian country (Al Jazeera, The New York Times)   

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