The election is over — now Putin is selling it as a mandate to continue the war Putin directly addressed Russian troops: “This vote is for you. People believe in you, they believe in our victory.” According to preliminary results, United Russia won around 58% of the party-list vote and prevailed in most single-member constituencies. If the current trend holds, it will take 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, giving it its largest parliamentary faction ever. The Kremlin can now use the result as an argument for maintaining its current wartime course. Analysts have pointed to possible steps including higher military and defense-industry spending, new restrictions and other unpopular measures. Speculation about another round of mobilization has not disappeared either.