Russian President Vladimir Putin has cemented his grip on power in a landslide election victory that has been widely criticized as lacking democratic legitimacy. In a post-election news conference, Putin cast the outcome as a vindication of his decision to defy the West and invade Ukraine. Putin’s victory was never in doubt as his critics are mostly in jail, in exile or dead, while public criticism of his leadership has been stifled. The United States said the vote was neither free nor fair.