By
Marc Bennetts
ALEXEI DRUZHININ/AFP/GETTY
It WAS CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT ON MARCH 18, and a triumphant Vladimir Putin stood at a podium at his campaign headquarters near Red Square. Dressed in a jacket and open-necked shirt, Russia’s longtime leader looked weary but satisfied. He had just secured a fourth presidential term in a landslide election, extending his rule for another six years, until 2024.