Putin's Russia

Russians went to the polls yesterday and handed Vladimir Putin's party, United Russia, a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections. It came as no surprise — for weeks, election watchers have pointed to massive voter intimidation.

Putin, as he asserts his "moral authority" to lead Russia, may be an old-style Russian strong-man — but his grip on power is a mix of old and new. And what it means, not just for a resurgent Russia but for global politics, no one knows.

This hour, On Point: Vladimir Putin's grip on Russia, and Russia's place in the world.Guests:

Arkady Ostrovsky, Moscow correspondent for The Economist.

Dmitry Sidorov, Washington correspondent for Kommersant, a leading Russian newspaper.

Masha Lipman, Editor-in-chief, Pro et Contra Journal, Carnegie Moscow Center, and columnist for The Washington Post.

David Kramer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department.