But is he swimming against an unstoppable tide? andrey kordochkin, andrey kordochkin, welcome to hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk. Thank you. Thank you. It s a great honour it s a great honour and privilege to be here. And privilege to be here. Well, it s great to have you well, it s great to have you in the studio. In the studio. Let me take you back let me take you back to february 2022. To february 2022. Putin orders putin orders an all out invasion of ukraine. That this would be the end an all out invasion of ukraine. Within days, you, a priest within days, you, a priest in the russian orthodox church, in the russian orthodox church, choose to speak out choose to speak out against the invasion. Against the invasion. When you did that, did you feel when you did that, did you feel that this would be the end of your career in the russian orthodox church? i think that when the war has begun, very few of us could actually give a prediction of what is going to come through. So i think that
Catherine the great. Over the next half hour we will look at the impact of the election for those in russia, ukraine and around the world. But first, we start our coverage with this report from our russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, in moscow. Russias democracy is the best in the world, the kremlin says. And at Polling Station 38 in moscow, we found a choice of candidates and plenty of voters. Democracy in action, right . Not quite. Realistically, only one man can win this. Vladimir putin the man whos been on russias political stage for the last quarter of a century. Vladimir putin faces no serious challenger. His fiercest rivals are in exile or in prison. Not that this woman, whose son is fighting in ukraine, wants any change at the top. Of course i voted for putin, she says. I trust him. But not everyone who came out today was actually voting. This, one of a string of attacks on Polling Stations across russia. They are unprecedented. After chaotic scenes here. An arsonist is detained. A
He thanked the citizens who went to the Polling Stations, expressing gratitude in particular to those whom he called warriors on the line of contact, referring to the front line of the war in ukraine. Translation in this connection i would like to translation in this connection i would like to thank translation in this connection i would like to thank first translation in this connection i would like to thank first of translation in this connection i would like to thank first of all, would like to thank first of all, citizens of the russia, we are all one team. All citizens of russia, who have come to the Polling Stations today, and voted. Applause. I want to give special thanks to our soldiers, the people who are fighting along the contact line, and providing for the countrys existence. Of course there are many tasks ahead, but when we are consolidated, and i think this is clear to everyone, who ever might wish to intimidate us, whoever might wish to suppress our will, our conscience