91福利社

Stephen Sackur speaks to Ksenia Sobchak, Russian presidential candidate. Is there a single Russian who doesn't expect Vladimir Putin to contest next spring's presidential election and win it easily? Mr Putin has yet to declare his intentions, but his desire to prolong his dominance of Russia is surely not in doubt.

Less certain is whether the president will face a credible opponent. Ksenia Sobchak has one big advantage, almost universal name recognition thanks to her TV career; but is her candidacy anything more than a fig leaf for the Kremlin?