Russians go to the polls today in the first presidential election since their country invaded Ukraine two years ago.

The war was expected to carry a steep cost for President Vladimir V. Putin. Valerie Hopkins, who covers Russia for The Times, explains why the opposite has happened.

Guest: Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• Mr. Putin, in pre-election messaging, was less strident on nuclear war.
• What to know about Russia’s 2024 presidential vote.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.