In Good Conscience

No British World Cup boycott can derail Putin's dance with Fifa

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Tomorrow, Vladimir Putin will still be Russia's President. With an expected majority beyond two-thirds of the vote, it is futile to speculate that hosting the World Cup in three months' time had much to do with it.

Nor has Russia's air force pounding innocents in Syria diminished his hold on the Kremlin. Nor will the slowly rising global fallout following the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 17, 2018, with the headline No British World Cup boycott can derail Putin's dance with Fifa. Subscribe