Vladimir Putin has said that he is “constantly” thinking about who will be his successor. He also made it clear that he has a list of candidates. When asked by propagandist Pavel Zarubin whether he assesses the potential of each of them, Putin replied, “Yes, he does.” At the same time, he emphasized that the successor must enjoy “the trust of the people,” otherwise such a president would have “no chance to do something seriously.” “There must appear a person, and preferably several, so that people have a choice, who could achieve this trust from the citizens of the country,” the “president” said in the documentary “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years.”
In different years, Putin’s successors have been named Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitrii Patrushev, Deputy Heads of the Presidential Administration Sergei Kirienko and Dmitrii Kozak, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Secretary of the State Council Aleksei Dyumin. Putin himself was Boris Yeltsin’s successor. The latter announced his resignation on December 31, 1999 and handed over his powers to him. Before that, Putin held key positions in the security services and in the government, including director of the FSS and prime minister. He said in the movie that he never had any doubts about why he became head of state or regrets about it. Putin is 72 years old. He has decided to run for a 5th term in 2024. Independent candidates were not allowed to run. In the end, the Central Election Commission announced Putin’s victory with 87.28% of the vote with a turnout of 77%.
