This Could Be Vladimir Putin’s Replacement — He’s Just As Bad
(UnitedReader.com) – Every reign comes to an end eventually; some leaders just stay in power for extended periods of time. Rumors spread earlier in the year that Russian President Vladimir Putin was possibly suffering some sort of illness, raising questions as to whether he was fit to be in power. What if he wasn’t? Who would replace the Kremlin’s leader if its current one could no longer run the country?
The top security official is one of few people known to have Putin's ear. The former head of MI6 predicts he'll be the next leader of Russia. https://t.co/sugnF8wnBe
— Insider International (@InsiderIntl) July 28, 2022
According to the former head of MI6, Richard Dearlove, the successor would likely be Nikolai Patrushev, Russia’s Security Council Secretary. The former intelligence director explained that the prospective successor has been an ally to the Russian president for a long time and is one of the few people Putin trusts.
Dearlove’s comments came during an episode of “One Decision,” a podcast he co-hosts while discussing the war’s impact, now five months into the invasion. Back in May, the former MI6 chief claimed Putin would no longer be president by 2023 and that other officials would force the leader into a hospital for long-term illness as a way to remove him without a coup.
Both Dearlove and his co-host, Louise Shelley, an expert on Russian currency, believe if Putin can no longer hold power, someone in his close circle will succeed him. Shelley explained that a replacement was unlikely to come from the country’s pool of oligarchs, who have little influence on Putin. Regardless of who the next Russian president might be, speculations are mounting that the current leader will not last much longer.
What do you think? Will Patrushev be the next leader of Russia?
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