Russia's presidential elections are due to take place on 4 March.
When BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendal recently visited the country, she found politicians and administrators who are usually loyal to Putin expressing discontent that he is almost certain to return as president.
In this College of Journalism lunchtime event at Bush House, BBC World Service Newshour presenter Jamie Coomarasamy spoke to a panel of experts about the strength of Russian opposition to Putin.
Speaking at the event were Bridget Kendall; Sarah Gibson, head of the BBC Russian Service; and Oksana Antonenko, senior political counsellor at the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development.
Bridget Kendall spoke about how Putin's resolve to keep Russia strong against potential enemies has influenced Russia's policies in Syria and Iran:
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Sarah Gibson described the election process and talked about the changing role of the media in Russia:
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