Vladimir Putin: Russia at a crossroads – will his nephew inherit him?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making every move to stay in power for a long time. However, his term of office could end soon.

Moscow – When facing disinformation Russia warned, then it is usually about intelligence operations, hacker attacks and bot networks, which, according to the governments concerned, are intended to undermine the stability of western states and alliances. In this respect, too, however, 2020 brought some surprises. During and after the 2020 US election was from Russia never mentioned, in contrast to the election four years ago. In Russia turn seems Putin Power to be increasingly questionable based on numerous rumors. According to observers, it performs Wladimir Putin this, with its information policy, tends to encourage it.

Future of Vladimir Putin: is the President seriously ill?

It is now enough that Vladimir Putin coughs in a meeting and the rumor mill is boiling up. The Russian media have raised this possibility again and again this year that he could be seriously ill. He could have cancer, suffer from Parkinson’s, or be mentally no longer completely healthy. After all, the Kremlin denied the persistent rumors of cancer in a statement in early December.

Basically has Wladimir Putin This year demonstrated several times that he is very interested in a continuation of his presidency: With new laws he could legally remain in office until 2036, as ex-president he and his family will enjoy lifelong protection from criminal prosecution. If Putin Years or only months at the top Of Russia However, staying has become more and more a question of faith in the public perception since this year.

Putin’s successor: his nephew could become president in Russia

Names of possible successors are already circulating in reports in Russian and international media. According to “The Daily Beast”, ex-President Dmitry Medvedev could come back to power. Even Putin’s nephew, Roman Putin, opportunities are granted in the event of a change of power. The US news portal quoted a commentator for the Russian daily Kommersant as saying: “This year he changed the constitution to secure more terms, but now he’s letting in more fog and saying he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in 2024 will run. ”

The speculation about Putin extend far beyond questions of power. There are also regular puzzles about his place of retreat. Thanks to a true-to-life replica of his office in the Kremlin, he could be on the Black Sea coast in Sochi more often than expected. A secret location in the Altai Mountains near the Russian-Mongolian border is also possible.

In the middle of an “information war”: Vladimir Putin is holding on

In November, rumors also spread about a previously unknown daughter of Wladimir Putin to the public. The mother and supposed affair Putin is also said to have got hold of shares in a Russian bank in a still unclear way, according to observers a clear indication of corruption at the top of the country.

According to “The Daily Beast”, the Russian head of state calls the various rumors about his private life and his political future “tricks” in an “information war” against him. Who the attacker is, is silent Wladimir Putin however off. (Matthis Pechtold)

Rubriklistenbild: © Alexei Nikolsky/dpa