Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030.

While autocratic regimes like Russia’s have proved adept at managing the electoral process to squeeze out rivals, elections are still high-stakes events, and offers a glimpse into the Kremlin’s domestic challenges as it continues a war against Ukraine that recently entered its third year.

So what should the rest of the world look out for during Russia’s elections?

Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics, ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific weighs in.