Russian government will begin drifting — Klimkin on potential post-election developments in Russia

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"In the minds of the Russian leadership, and this is not only Putin, but also the Russian population, Ukraine is not a separate nation and a separate state. They think that Ukraine should not belong to the West, the notion is not accepted in Russia. Russia's fundamental problem is not just Putin. Russia's most fundamental problem is Russians and their mentality," Klimkin emphasized. 

According to the diplomat, Russia will not undergo significant improvement even if the Putin regime gets rebooted.

"I do not rule out the possibility that in connection with the presidential elections next year or in their aftermath, there may be a process of the Russian authorities undergoing a form of drift, leading to substantial changes. Regardless, the Russian elites are aware of the direction Russia is heading and will likely seek to assume a more prominent role. But we should not hope for optimistic changes," Klimkin added.

• According to Reuters, citing its own sources, Putin has decided to run in the 2024 presidential election, and his advisers are already preparing for the campaign.
•  ISW writes that Putin is likely to avoid the topic of the war in Ukraine during his 2024 presidential campaign. Instead, he will focus on the alleged "stability" in Russia and criticizing the West.
• Putin will hold a direct line and a press conference at the same time. It is possible that he will announce his candidacy for the presidency at the same time. The election is scheduled for March 17.