Russian authorities on March 15-17 held a presidential election in two countries – Russia and the regions of Ukraine brutally occupied by the Kremlin. The voting was neither free nor fair, with the result known in advance. In the occupied areas, voting was held illegally at gunpoint. In Russia, the elections were no less of a farce. The Kremlin’s monopoly on television and print ensured that Putin’s critics would have no say in the election. Opposition politicians were not allowed to run, being either denied registration or killed in jail. Those permitted to run alongside Russian President Vla…