In the three months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed both those who want the war and his opponents. The Kremlin hopes that he will leave in the “foreseeable future” and is already looking for a successor, Medusa says.
According to the publication, the general mood of the Russian elite has changed completely several times during the war – from the beginning of the confusion, the “patriotic uprising” in April to the pessimism three months after the invasion.
Many people are now unhappy with Vladimir Putin, according to sources close to the Kremlin. In addition, this position is supported by both those who are in favor of continuing the war and those who want peace.
Medusa’s interlocutors note that figures of the president’s descendants are already being discussed behind the scenes at the Kremlin. Among them are the mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, the deputy chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, and the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kirijenko, who recently became the Kremlin’s curator in Donbass.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, it is not a question of overthrowing the Russian president at the moment, but the topic of “the future after Putin” is being discussed more and more. At the same time, sources say that Putin himself can only resign as president in the event of a serious deterioration in his health.
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