George Callaghan
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by George Callaghan…
Shoigu will be the next President of Russia. President Putin is 67 and according to the constitution this is his last term. He is due to retire from the presidency in 2024. Speculation is rife as to who will be the next head of state. The word on the street is that Sergei Shoigu is the current president’s pick as his successor.
Putin seems to favour people who are not Muscovites. Ideally, he selects fellow sons of Leningrad. Shoigu is not one of those but at least he is not from Moscow. He was born in 1955. This Siberian comes from a small town and a family of no particular distinction. He is an indigenous ethnic minority on one side. He qualified as an engineer and joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The CPSU was a career open to talents. He made his way up its cursus honorum. Conformity and deference were much valued graces within the Communist Party. He does not appear to be a man of strong imagination or independence of mind. He worked at the Ministry of Emergency Situations for some years.
What do we know of Shoigu? He is a bluff and undemonstrative type. He is a man after Putin’s own heart. S Shoigu has what V V Putin would call ‘moral stability’ in that he is happily married and is the father of children. He is abstemious when it comes to spirituous liquor and eschews tobacco.
Sergei Shoigu is now the Minister of Defence. This is a vital post in any country. But as the military is a Russian collective obsession the prestige of this post is even greater than in most nations. Most of the budget goes on defence. He is a man who has risen through public service. He is not an oligarch and has no separate power base. The current president finds this man unthreatening and personally unambitious. Nor does Shoigu have a reputation for graft. He is a team player and a conformist.
On the president’s birthday he had himself photographed fishing in deepest Siberia with Shoigu. Could this be sending a not so subliminal message? It appears that Shoigu is being groomed. Is he Putin’s handpicked successor. He believes that he can control Shoigu who is inclined to agree with him anyway. Perhaps the president perceives Shoigu as a means of continuing his control after formal retirement. As Shoigu is only 3 years younger than V V P there is little chance of Shoigu ruling for 20+ years. There is talk of Putin creating a post such as ‘leader of the nation’ as exists in Kazakhstan. When Nazarbayev retired from the presidency in 2018 he still retained the title ‘Leader of the Nation’. This allows him to be a back seat driver. He can exercise power from behind the scenes. He does not have to make all those burdensome public appearances now that he is infirm.
Kremlinologists have been reading the not so subtle clues. Vladimir Vladimirovich does nothing without good reason. The photo opportunities with S Shoigu were trying to tell us something.
The only other person who has much of a chance is Dmitry Medvedev. He is the only person who has succeeded V V Putin as president. He is also from St Petersburg.
Lavrov will got get the top spot. He is too old, he smokes and he is half-Armenian which would irk Azerbaijan. Shuvalov was considered a runner rather than a rider but he fell from grace not so long ago. The other contenders are unlikely. They are unacceptable to various factions.
The presidency of Sergei Shoigu is just a rumor at this stage. It is not a certainty. But he remains the most likely of the possibilities.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
No, Shoigu will not be the next President of Russia. It might be Dmitri Medvedev again, the Prime Minister. Or Putin will remain President, if the law of succession is changed. Shoigu is too old, he is just three years younger than Putin. The photo sessions do not mean much. Putin is often photographed with all kinds of people. Medvedev-Putin photos exist just as often as Shoigu-Putin photos.
Dont know why but i feel it will be someone NEW. (not shoigu or medvedev). It could even be a woman.
Yes, of course, it could be someone new. Why not a woman? I would like to see a female President in Russia but I believe the country is too conservative for it. Not ready yet. Maybe in 10 years ….
The Russian Press keeps hinting and speculating. Some new names are being discussed. Who knows, the Government and Security Service keep silent.
Who knows it may be the woman who’s the spoke person for Putin and the Russian government,she has the brains and mentality for the post,well liked well thought of by Putin,and as Putin unknown at the time she could/would do a very good job of keeping Russia on the same path as Putin has.!!
Who do you mean? President Putin’s spokesperson is Dmitri Peskov, a man. Maybe you mean Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? She is a very brainy and diplomatic lady. I believe she might become the next Minister of Foreign Affairs, if and when Sergei Lavrov retires. But he likes the job. I think he will try to hang on as long as possible.
Is this the lady you mean? Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign affairs. She is fluent in English. Maybe Russia’s next Foreign Affairs Minister? She is qualified for the post, I think.
Elvira Nabiullina
I think she is very competent as head of Russia’s Central Bank. She is a financial genius. I do not know how she would be as Russian President though. There is more to the job than being able to manage finances well.
Hilary Clinton to run?
Poklonskaya, the ex-prosecutor of Crimea.
She is a decent person, but she does not have enough clout. She does not belong to President Putin’s gang of thieves, stealing state funds. So she is not in the game, alas!
You seem to have gone into overdrive today, Olivia – lots of interesting posts. I totally agree about Shoigu not being a suitable successor, although I had no idea about the allegations about his corrupt mistress. It begs the question, if true, as to why on Earth Putin tolerates this? It would seem to play right into the western image of Russia. It’s probably the most worrying thing about Russia I’ve read for a log while. For me, Shoigu’s main claim to fame was insisting the Syria was supplied with S 300 after the Israelis tricked the Syrians into shooting… Read more »
PS Re: Maria Zakarova – surely a bit premature, but she must certainly be in he running – or should be – to succeed Lavrov. Personally I’d love to see her as President – her command of English would make it very difficult for the presstitutes to deal with her.
There is going to be so much worldwide speculation on this over the next few years. President Putin is likely to feed it and keep everyone guessing. Remember when he went missing for about 10 days in March 2015 after he cancelled a planned visit to Kazakhstan? Wherever he was, he must have been laughing at all the hysterical speculation in the media. When he reappeared in public he did not give the reason for his absence and it still remains a mystery today. When reporters clamoured for an explanation, he just smiled and said, “It would be boring without… Read more »
The selection for Russia’s next president is kept secret behind an opaque screen. Those that are touted in the foreground will surely not become president. If Putin shows his face with Shoigu it does not mean that Shoigu will become president. I believe it is quite the contrary. Shoigu is the odd man out.
Medvedev is a proNATO and therefore, I don’t want him to be next president !
I googled “Is Medvedev pro-nato?”, and did not find any evidence to support that he is pro-nato; in fact, quite the opposite.
He’s not pro-NATO. Where do you get this from? No Russian in his/her right mind today is pro-NATO. There are only two camps in Russia on the subject. The ‘tolerate NATO until it falls apart from internal dissonance and is replaced by a rational security architecture’ and the ‘death to NATO at all costs, it’s shown its true colors all too often’ camps.
Shoigu has a bad public image in Russia because he has mistresses and illegitimate children, although married. Meduza reported on it in great detail: Former flight attendant with reportedly intimate ties to Russia’s defense minister owns a $23.5-million mansion, say investigative journalists A former flight attendant with Russia’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (MChS) made billions of rubles on contracts with her employer and the Defense Ministry, according to a new investigative report by The Insider. Elena Shebunova has long and close personal ties to Sergey Shoigu, Russia’s former MChS minister and current defense minister. According to The Insider, Shebunova officially… Read more »
Someone does not like this article by MEDUZA? That Shoigu has or had a corrupt mistress who siphoned millions from the Russian Government (Defense Ministry) is not a lie, there is proof. And that she owns a billionaire’s villa in Zhukovka is also not a lie. The registry gives her name as owner. She used to be a simple stewardess in Shoigu’s military jet. He banged her during working hours, when he used the plane. I do not think that the Russian public is very happy about this case of corruption, adultery and abuse. No, Shoigu will not be elected.… Read more »
MEDUZA is not the only news media reporting this, there is also an article in THE MOSCOW TIMES: Russian Defense Chief’s Reported Ex Made $100M From Ministry Deals, Media Reports Aug. 1, 2019 A former associate of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has allegedly earned 6.5 billion rubles ($101.9 million) from deals with the ministries of defense and emergency situations, according to an investigation by Russia’s The Insider news website. Former Emergency Situations Ministry flight attendant Yelena Shebunova was involved with Shoigu until as recently as 2017, the outlet reported. Companies co-owned by Shebunova allegedly earned 6.5 billion rubles from contracts… Read more »
I found a third article where Sergei Shoigu’s und Yelena Shebunova’s wheelings and dealings are listed in great detail: CRIME RUSSIA 31.07.2019 Close friend of Shoigu earns $102 million on transactions with Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Emergency Situations, media Yelena Shebunova, a close friend of Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who gave birth to a son and daughter who looked like the Minister, earned about 6.5 billion rubles ($102 million) on contracts with the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Emergency Situations, The Insider writes. Open Media found the full namesake of the businesswoman in the list of members… Read more »
Moscow Times now, is it? Well, why didn’t you say so? They’re unimpeachable.
The link is given under each text I quote. Those that can read, will read it.
I think some people downvote totally factual material on here simply because its not what they want to hear.
Probably this is so. Well, the material is in the press, whether people like it or not. No use living in a phantasy world, we have to face reality. Shoigu is an adulterer, a womanizer and he siphoned money from the Defence Ministry into the pockets of his bed matress. It’s a fact, not phantasy.
Photo of Elena Shebunova, her two children from Shoigu, her villa that cost a fortune, her Mercedes, etc. can be seen here (text in Russian):
http://www.spletnik.ru/blogs/govoryat_chto/171759_naspasal
Readers of this journal make very unpleasant comments about Shoigu, his bed matress Shebunova, corruption and the fact that Shoigu is Defence Minister without having served in the Russian Army. Imagine, the highest post in the military for a person who has not done his military service? How bizarre!
ещё грустней то, что человек занимающий такой пост, НЕ служил в армии!
Shoigu has the rank of a GENERAL – without having done military service? Is this possible? It is like giving a professor’s title to a person who has never gone to school.
MEDUZA …LOL. Might as well get all your political news about Trump from MSNBC.
PS: Navalny was posting pics of Medvedev’s country house, surrounded by snow in a snowless woods. He made a big thing about the snow being ‘trucked, flown, whatever’ in. Like I was supposed to believe that a $10,000 ski slope snow machine wasn’t available.
EVERYBODY lies to further their agendas. It’s just that some lie more than others.
Prime Minister Medvedev has no bedmattresses with huge palaces built at state expenses and no illegitimate children. Liar Navalny cannot find any “pictures” of those, because they do not exist.
Dmitri Medvedev is a much more presentable public figure than Shoigu. Born in Leningrad, in 1955, a professor of law. Speaks English fluently. Married since 1993 to Svetlana Vladimirovna Medvedeva, a marriage without scandals. One son, born in 1995, no mistresses, bed matrasses, or illegitimate children. The couple is always together for public functions, for example at the Kremlin receptions, the Bolshoi, on May 9 Victory Parade, etc. Dmitri Medvedev and his wife are presentable in Russia and abroad, while the “waldschrat” Shoigu is not.
Dmitri Medvedev and Svletlana Medvedeva – an educated, elegant, sophisticated, internationally acceptable couple with good manners and good looks. Here they are at the Orthodox Easter Mass in Moscow, together with President Putin and Moscow Mayor Sobyanin:
“educated, elegant, sophisticated, internationally acceptable couple with good manners and good looks”
Yes, so was Obama, and so are Trudeau, Macron, etc… All globalists and nations destroyers.
Totally agree. I remember being at my grandmothers house when the Bilderberg put Mulroney forward for Prime Minister of Canada the first time, and her saying “he has a honest face, I’m going to vote for him. I just about had a seizure, and said “J*s*s H. Chr*st! If a strong chin is the principle qualification for PM we are ALL in DEEP SHIT!” Grandma was not impressed…
Canada is not Russia, Russia is not Canada.
Only one of course, is a toady to Washington.
Reasons people give the world over for choosing to vote for one person over another can get quite absurd.
That might be so, but it is people’s free choice whom they want to vote for. Everybody has his own likes and dislikes. We are not cloned yet.
That’s why I can’t wait for AI to choose the world’s leaders. 😉
TASS: Prime Minister Medvedev attends Christmas service at Christ the Saviour Cathedral The service is officiated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia MOSCOW, January 7. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his spouse Svetlana are attending an overnight Orthodox Christmas service at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow on Tuesday. The service, which started one hour before midnight, is officiated by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. The service will last for several hours. Several thousand worshippers gathered for the Christmas service at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral. The Prime Minister and his wife are… Read more »
Here is Svetlana Medvedeva as public speaker (the blond lady in blue dress) on the public holiday of “Day of Families” in Crimea.
Russia does not only need a President, Russia needs a presentable, intelligent FIRST LADY as well. All civilized countries around the world have FIRST LADIES. Svetlana Medveda is the ideal person for the job. She is a university graduate in economics, she is of Russian Orthodox Faith (80 percent of Russia is Orthodox!) and she is a good friend of Patriarch Kirill, Head of Russia’s Orthodox Church. She has wide acceptance among the Russian population, especially the female voters.
I disagree. It seems to me that “first ladies” are purely ornamental, as they have little or no influence in political decisions. At any rate, they should not: it is the president who is elected, not his wife.
But the President and his wife form a couple. No man is an island, just by himself. In general, women are very interested in the person who is the President’s wife. Women form half of the country’s population (often more), and half of the voters. Furthermore, the First Lady traditionally fulfills duties in the social sphere, “family”, “children”, “culture”, etc. At the moment, this position is vacant, since President Putin does not have a wife or does not show his wife, if he has one. I often read Russian magazines, where women keep complaining about it. Russia is not only… Read more »
If a male president’s wife is the first lady, what would a female president’s husband be known as? First man? First gentleman, First what? President Putin was married to Lyudmila Putina for 30 years. They publicly announced the termination of their marriage based on a mutual decision in 2013. Do the women complaining in Russian magazines expect him to rush out and immediately find another wife? In any case, Putin never appeared in public with his family and the Russian people have never even seen either of his two daughters. Why should they? He was elected president, not his family.… Read more »
President Putin’s marital life was, is and will always be a riddle, shrouded in mystery. His private life is hidden behind an opaque screen. Whether this is good or bad can be debated. As far as I am reading in Russian magazines, many Russian women dislike this. They would rather have his family life out in the open. It is not natural for a man to live in a “glasshouse”, or is it?
Well, President Putin is the president and not his family. He is doing his job and his family is not doing it. His family is his family and not the nation’s family. I would expect a royal family that is supported by the people of their country to have a sense of ownership of a monarch and his or her family, but citizens should not expect presidents’ or prime ministers’ families to be “theirs”. I think it’s perfectly natural for a president to choose not to have his wife and children splashed all over the nation’s magazines. In fact, it’s… Read more »
I have often heard from Russians, especially from Russian women that they think: “If a man betrays his wife, he will also betray his country”. Russia is a basically conservative, family-orientated society. People want to know, who the President is, this automatically includes his family.
He does not stand alone, he has a family. TASS reports that President Putin will spend the New Year with his “family”. Who is this “family”? Invisible ghosts? Real people? Dogs? Horses? Hobgobblins? Who?
On the other hand, I think a man who foregoes all family affairs in order to dedicate himself to the interests of the country deserves some applause. The job demands total dedication.
Same goes for a woman, although perceived as a bit more controversial & unnatural.
Foregoes all family affairs? Have you screened family affairs? Do you know what is going on behind closed doors?
They are worse than just “ornamental”. Photos of grinning presidents and prime ministers holding hands with their grinning wives, offspring clustered at their feet, is nothing but a marketing device to give people the impression that they are just nice ordinary family guys when the majority of them are most definitely not.
or husband…
When Hillary was first lady, Bill was just an afterthought.
Hillary Clinton has a much stronger character, although devilish. Bill Clinton is simply a weak lecher, not really presidential. In hindsight, he appears to be a clown, a fool, letting himself be impeached, although not deposed. I wish they had deposed him. He was a ridiculous president, a laughing-stock worldwide.
Svetlana Medvedeva did a very good job as Russia’s FIRST LADY, when her husband was President:
Why do people give minus points here? I do not understand. The Prime Minister’s wife is a respectable woman, a mother, a person who works in Russia’s interests. And as far as I know, she has not siphoned any public funds from Russian ministries, like Shoigu’s bed matress Elena Shebunova did, who was an “air hostess” for the Emergency Ministry of Russia, while Shoigu was Emergency Minister. Shebunova now owns a billionaire’s villa in one of the most expensive areas of Moscow Oblast. One may ask how she paid for it.
No, he is not. Please stop dreaming up such bullshit.
The British newspapers for example TIMES are hinting this. Maybe the author found it there? It is truly “bullshit” as you say.
President Putin dismissed corrupt Defence Minister Serdyukov, in 2012, and nominated the Tuva “Waldschrat” Shoigu as his successor. Shoigu is even more corrupt than Serdyukov was.
President Putin jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. No luck with the choice of his Defence Ministers.
Brits, yeah – they’ll dream up the most obnoxious news about Russia that they can. That’s what they do. They obviously want to plant this ‘Russia aggression and more militarism in the works’ seed and keep watering it. The British media is the worst of the worst. The country lives on tabloid tablets.
This can be said for most western news media, not only the British.
“Most of the budget goes on defence”.
Whaa-a-a-a????
Russia spends approximately 20% of its budget on defence – very comparable with the USA.
The US spends over half. It is insane.
“Defence”? “Defence” against what, exactly? Who is attacking or threatening the us mainland? (Sarcasm).
It is very natural for Mr Putin to highlight his personal friendship and good working relationship with Mr Shoigu. After all, as the article points out, defence (in the sense of “defence”, rather than “aggression”) is more important to Russia than to any other great power.
President Putin also highlights his excellent relationship with Dmitri Medvedev, Russia’s Prime Minister. This is also a very important position, like in all countries around the world. The Russian Security Services will make sure that no war hawk will get the position of Defence Minister. Russia does not want war.
Maybe he will be Russian President in 2024? Maybe? We shall see …
sounds like you are a (paid) PR for Svetlana !!! …
No, I am not paid, I simply like Svetlana Medvedeva. I also like Maria Zakharova.
PS
In contrast, I strongly dislike all the bed matresses, who have served, are serving and (or) will be serving Russian politicians, in order to siphon money from Russian public coffers for their sex services.
George Callaghan’s article is to be kind… unintelligent…
Same Callaghan displays he has no intell.. rather stupid… alas…
Furthermore its arrogant – too many lies in one article alone…
Well George Callaghan has his opinion, I have mine, you have yours. No reason to call him stupid. He has not insulted you, has he?
my guess is it will be Medvedev. He made some poor decisions back when he was President but I think this time Putin will be making all the decisions for him
The decision that brought destruction to Libya was truly bad. But Medvedev was fooled. As Russian President in 2011, he did not order the Russian Ambassador to the UN to VETO permission to bomb Libya because the wording of the text was misleading. It was a “beginner’s mistake”, no ill will on the part of Medvedev. And Prime Minister Putin did not give him any advice about a VETO, either. In 2024, Medvedev will be a lot wiser and more experienced. He will avoid such mistakes.
No, Will be young, talented, patriot. I Think Dyumin,. Governor Tula oblast
I’ve been naming Shoigu next for like 5 years now, but always get shouted down by clowns. YES, he is the next president. Period.
He is too corrupt to become President of Russia, and the Russian public knows it. Russia is fighting against corruption, not favouring it.
THE TELEGRAPH: Russia’s defence minister ‘secretly builds £12 million palace’, say campaigners Anti-corruption investigators accuse Sergei Shoigu of trying to hide his ownership of a mansion outside Moscow By Allison Quinn, Moscow9:29PM GMT 29 Oct 2015 Russia’s defence minister has secretly built a lavish £12 million palace outside Moscow, according to anti-corruption campaigners. Sergei Shoigu tried to conceal his ownership of the four-storey mansion, built in the style of a Chinese pagoda. The pictures show an imposing mansion with tilted roofs, ringed by generous grounds with exotic shrubbery, covering an area of about 9,000 square meters. The property is said… Read more »
And Waldschrat Shoigu seems to be one of those “self-enrichment” kings that flock to President Putin like bees to the honeypot. They know where the money bags are that they can steal.
I hope that the opportunist and profiteer from Tuva will never be president.
Russia has extended woodlands and taiga – but does the country really need a “Waldschrat”, “wood goblin” as president? The urban civilization won’t like that! Леший это вполне реальное существо, а не сказочный персонаж. Леший – это Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу!
The Russian public is very upset about the hike of the retirement age. People have to work longer now, and they see how their money is spent: bonzos like Waldschrat Shoigu (and the likes of him) enriching themselves with public funds, to build huge palaces outside of Moscow for themselves and their harem of whores. This is OUTRAGEOUS! President Putin’s approval rates have already fallen drastically. I predict that with Shoigu as next Presidential Candidate in Russia, in 2024, the approval rates for the official United Russia Party will fall deep down, underground, at Metro level. Then they can forget… Read more »
The Moscow Times: Is This Russia’s Next Leader? For the first time in his seven years as Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu gave a lengthy interview to a mainstream Russian newspaper. Oct. 4, 2019 How do you campaign for an election that doesn’t exist? Perhaps the most striking expression of this was the recent interview Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave to the newspaper Moskovskii Komsomolets in September. He is forever on screen and page, briefing the president (or hunting and hiking with him), presiding over pyrotechnic military exercises, or dispensing carefully calculated sound bites. He rarely exposes himself to anything more… Read more »
ROMEOSQUARED writes more about this interview that Shoigu gave to the press, in September 2019: Sergey Shoigu has famous pro-Kremlin journalist fired over critical article 2019-09-27 BY ANDERS PUCK NIELSEN Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave a rare lengthy interview to the popular paper Moskovsky Komsomolets — the first in seven years, since being appointed to head the Ministry of Defense in November 2012. Speaking with the news outlet, Shoigu lauded his unparalleled achievements in restoring Russia’s military might after decades of decay and neglect. This was the first interview in his seven years as defense minister, and it has… Read more »
RIDDLE: Meet Russia’s “Saviour-in-Chief” by Tatiana Stanovaya|Published 13.11.2019 Tatyana Stanovaya considers the fate of Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu in the context of a transition of power In recent years, Russia’s Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu has virtually become part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, alongside the president’s former colleagues from his days in the St Petersburg mayoralty and his fellow comrades at the KGB. By virtue of his deep involvement in the Russian president’s geopolitical designs, the head of Russia’s armed forces has become one of a select group which is in close and constant contact with the head of… Read more »
xxx
I am very sorry that the excellent journalist Ilya Kramnik was dismissed from Isveztia. We worked both as journalists for THE VOICE OF RUSSIA. But this wonderful Russian media was demolished, abolished, when Dmitri Kisselev became director of the newly created, consolidated Russian states media. Now Ilya Kramnik was chased from Izvestia too, on the behest of Sergei Shoigu. New times, a new age has come up in Russia, with such opportunists as Kisselev and Shoigu coming into power.
Izvestia newspaper removed article criticizing Defence Minister 24 September – A daily newspaper Izvestia, which belongs to the state-owned National Media Group, removed from its website the op-ed “The achievements of Sergey Shoigu as Defense Minister” by the military reporter Ilya Kramnik, who described the incident in a Facebook post. Referring to an interview by the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets with the Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, Kramnik wrote that it’s unlikely to be correct that the recovery of the Russian army was due to the appointment of Shoigu, since its reform was initiated by the previous minister. Kramnik also wrote that… Read more »
INDEX ON CENSORSHIP REPORTS: Izvestia newspaper removed article criticizing Defence Minister 24 September 2019 – Daily newspaper Izvestia, which belongs to the state-owned National Media Group, removed from its website the op-ed “The achievements of Sergey Shoigu as Defense Minister” by the military reporter Ilya Kramnik, who described the incident in a Facebook post. Referring to an interview by the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets with the defence minister Sergey Shoigu, Kramnik wrote that it’s unlikely to be correct that the recovery of the Russian army was due to the appointment of Shoigu, since its reform was initiated by the previous minister… Read more »
Russia will be okay so long as they do not pick another Yeltsin like figure to run the country. I think that Putin is not all that thrilled with Mevedev, he sees him as a weak leader, and I sincerely believe that whomever Putin recommends will be the eventual winner. Above all else the Russian people have great respect, even reverence for Putin who litterally saved the country from the ravages of unbridled capitalism under the corrupt and weak Yeltsin.If not for the guiding hand of a strong incorruptable leader like Putin I hate to think what would have become… Read more »
It is not Vladimir Putin chosing his successor but the Security Services of Russia and the Russian Security Council. Vladimir Putin has a voice in it, but others have a voice too. The final choice will be a group decision, not that of a single man.
Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev works hard, even on weekends and during the week of public holidays of Orthodox Christmas (Januar 1 – 8) in Russia. He is a hard worker, not a lazy bum. I think he deserves the post of President, in 2024. TASS: Medvedev and Rumas discuss cooperation between Russia and Belarus on energy issues MOSCOW, January 4. / TASS /. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Rumas held telephone conversations at the initiative of the Belarusian side on Saturday, the Russian Government press service told TASS in a statement. “The heads of government… Read more »
TASS: Putin announces plans to talk about declining incomes of Russians in his January address The Russian President said that, in particular, he had in mind the “issues related to overcoming stagnation in areas of citizens’ incomes, reducing the number of people living at the minimum wage, and overcoming poverty” MOSCOW, January 4. / TASS / Russian President Vladimir Putin in his work on the address to the Federal Assembly, scheduled for January 15, pays special attention to the issue of increasing the incomes of Russian citizens, he told TASS in an interview on Saturday. President Putin said that, in… Read more »
Yes, this is fine that President Putin wants to talk about the stagnation in real incomes of the population, being very concerned about it. And when is he going to talk about the gang of thieves, stealing funds from the Russian state? Is he also concerned about that? People in high places, working for the President, surrounding the President, are stealing millions and billions for self-enrichment. Has he noticed that? And if so, what is he going to do about it? I think, it is a bad idea to place such a person in the position of presidential candidate for… Read more »
When is President Putin going to speak publicly about corruption and embezzlement in today’s Russian cleptocracy? That, in my eyes, is a topic urgently to be dealed with.
By the way, I think that Shoigu not only should NOT become Russia’s next PRESIDENT, but he should furthermore NOT be Russia’s next DEFENCE MINISTER, in 2024. either. He is NOT a military expert, he has NEVER served in the Army. He is simply a poseur, doing lots of PR work for himself. He is imbued with his own (non existant) grandeur. When a journalist criticizes him, he abuses his power to have that critic dismissed. The man with the know-how in the military is GENERAL VALERY GERASIMOV. I hope he will be Russian DEFENCE MINISTER, in 2024. Valery Gerasimov,… Read more »
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke out about a complete ban on the sale of nicotine mixtures throughout the EurAsEC. He made a corresponding statement at a meeting with Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, as well as the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova.
While “General” Shoigu (civilian without one single day of service in the Armed Forces!) is prancing around on battle ships in his “general” uniform, kowtowing to President Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is doing the work at home: TASS Medvedev will meet with experts from Gaidar Forum on January 17 — press secretary: The 11th Gaidar Forum will be held in Moscow on January 15-16 MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will meet on Friday with experts who will take part in the 11th Gaidar Forum scheduled for January 15-16, press sercretary of the Russian prime minister… Read more »