Putin is a dictator and a tyrant, but other forces also sustain him – and the west needs to understand them

The west's derisive reporting of Vladimir Putin's election victory this week was a mark of his success. It was described as an abuse of democracy, "rigged", "fixed" and "a sham". The other candidates were shadows, while Putin's true opponents were imprisoned, exiled or dead. According to this narrative, the 87% who voted for him were mere victims of coercion, the queues of silent protesters were the stars. Putin's vote had nothing to do with democracy. It was a rerun of his 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, a global dressing-up, a rallying of support. As he celebrated his win to an adoring…