Putin Talks About His Successor as President of Russia

The transfer of power in Russia has become one of the most prominent issues on the political scene in Moscow — so much so that President Vladimir Putin has spoken publicly about it.

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In statements broadcast this Sunday, Putin (72 years old) said he constantly thinks about who might succeed him in office, noting the possibility of a competition between several candidates.

Putin, who holds the longest tenure in the Kremlin since Joseph Stalin, served as president from 1999 to 2008, then as prime minister until 2012, and has been president again from 2012 to the present.

A former lieutenant colonel in the Soviet KGB intelligence service, Putin assumed the presidency from Boris Yeltsin on Yeltsin’s final day in office in 1999.

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His current presidential term officially ends in May 2030. It is his sixth term overall (or fourth, according to the constitutional count after amendments), which began on May 7, 2024, and lasts six years.

In theory, Putin could run again, but that would mean launching a new presidential campaign at the age of 77.

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Asked whether he thinks about the matter of succession in a documentary aired by Russian television to mark the 25th anniversary of his time in power, Putin said: “I always think about it.”

He added: “Ultimately, the choice will be up to the people — the Russian people. I believe there should be a person, or rather several people, so that the people have a choice.”

There is no clear successor to Putin at present, but under the Russian Constitution, the prime minister assumes presidential powers if the president becomes unable to perform his duties.

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