Putin’s 3 possible replacements as Trump piles pressure on Kremlin | World | News
Vladimir Putin suffered a major blow this week after Donald Trump imposed punitive sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies. The sanctions targeted Rosneft and Lukoil, which account for nearly half of Russia’s crude oil exports, according to Bloomberg.
The move is likely to hit Russia’s economy hard and have a major impact on the Kremlin’s ability to finance its crushing and brutal war in Ukraine. The Russian leader acknowledged Thursday that White House sanctions could cause major economic pain, but vowed never to bow to U.S. pressure. The prospect of further financial difficulties is likely to further increase tensions among Kremlin elites, who are already “extremely unhappy” with Putin’s rejection of the peace deal put forward by Trump in July.
Ilya Ponomarev, a prominent anti-Putin opposition leader, told the Express at the time that the growing discontent among those shaking and mobilizing Russia could lead to the overthrow of the Kremlin tyrant, but warned that such a scenario would not happen anytime soon.
But as the pain of new sanctions mounts, growing anger among Russia’s elite could trigger a move to dethrone Putin from the Kremlin sooner than expected.
Below the Express takes a look at three possible candidates for Putin’s throne at a time when tensions in the Kremlin threaten to lead to political instability.
In a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) poll, Russia experts rated the 59-year-old prime minister as Putin’s most likely successor.
Mishustin, a trained economist, headed Russia’s tax authority for a decade before being appointed to his current post in 2020.
He spent much of the war trying to contain the effects of Western sanctions, but was reportedly opposed to the decision to invade Ukraine.
As a result, if he is to replace Putin, he may be more willing to sue for peace on less favorable terms than his current boss.
Sergey Sobyanin is the long-serving Mayor of Russia’s capital, Moscow, and was the second most popular candidate to replace Putin among experts in an RFE/RL poll.
Sobyanin, 66, was born in the Tyumen region and worked at a metal pipe factory before entering politics.
He served as regional governor for two years, from 2008 to 2010, and also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.
It has strengthened its political credentials thanks to its ability to keep Moscow running smoothly during mass opposition protests, the Covid pandemic and Ukraine’s current drone strikes.
Alexey Dyumin is perhaps the dark horse candidate and the least known name among the potential contenders.
The 52-year-old started as Putin’s bodyguard in the 1990s, then served in various government positions.
He was deputy director of the military intelligence bureau GRU, governor of Tula Oblast, and currently serves as Secretary of the State Council.
He served as a special forces commander during the annexation of Crimea and was also deputy to former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies said that if Putin were to step aside voluntarily, Dyumin “would be one of the best candidates, thanks to both his long-standing closeness to the Russian leader and his versatile professional experience.”
