The author writes:

• Putin confirmed he would run again in the 2024 presidential election following a Kremlin ceremony on December 8 to award the title of Hero of Russia. His comments were made in reply to an impassioned plea from Artyom Zhoga, a former military commander who fought in Ukraine’s Donbas region and is now speaker of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic parliament. Footage of Putin’s mumbled confirmation did not appear in the media straight away, and when it finally surfaced, it only strengthened the impression that the painfully obviously staged request and response had been put together in a rush, which is hardly in keeping with the Kremlin’s statements about the historical significance of the upcoming vote. Zhoga visibly struggled to get his question out as other participants in the awards ceremony crowded around him and Putin to shake hands with the president, clearly unaware that something important was happening right in front of them.
• It would appear that the initiative to divert away from the planned scenario came from Putin himself. Given his KGB background, the president does not like it when his plans are known in advance, since that may give ill-wishers (both foreign and domestic) the chance to use those plans against him. But since Putin’s “enemies” had no illusions about him running for election, this chaotic smokescreen was entirely unnecessary. 
• The president’s inclination to act upon his own initiative is increasingly ruining the plans of his administration. His actions are out of touch with reality, and are damaging to both himself and the power vertical he created. 
• The unofficial announcement involving Zhoga will not have critical consequences, but it shows that the president is ready to derail carefully laid plans at the most inopportune moment. In the event of plans related to war or the economy, such interference could have far more serious consequences.

Read the full article on Carnegie Endowment for International Peace website.

The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author. Photo by US Department of State shared under a United States government work licence.