MOSCOW (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin has decided to run in next March’s presidential election, six sources told Reuters, a move that would keep him in power until at least 2030.
According to these sources, the head of the Kremlin considers it necessary to guide Russia himself through the most perilous period it has known in decades.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified on Monday that “the president has not made any statement on this matter” and that “the campaign has not yet been officially announced.”
The sources, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of Kremlin politics, said news of Vladimir Putin’s decision had trickled out and advisers were preparing now to the campaign and the re-election of the leader.
“The decision has been made: he will show up,” said one of the sources familiar with the preparations. A choreographed allusion should be presented in a few weeks, another source said, confirming information from the Kommersant newspaper published last month.
A foreign diplomatic source, who also requested anonymity, said Vladimir Putin made the decision recently and the announcement would be made soon.
With a popularity rating of 80% in Russia, the election is only a formality for Vladimir Putin if he runs: with the support of the state, state media and the virtual absence of dissent within public opinion, the leader is certain to win.
The Russian president, who celebrated his 71st birthday on October 7, has been in power since he was appointed prime minister in 1999 by Boris Yeltsin. He is the longest-serving Russian leader since Josef Stalin.
While many diplomats, intelligence officers and foreign officials say they expect Vladimir Putin to remain in power for life, there has been no confirmation so far of his intention to run for president from March 2024.
The Kremlin has dismissed reports that the leader was unwell, calling them disinformation spread by the West.
(Report by Guy Faulconbridge, French version by Gaëlle Sheehan, edited by Kate Entringer)
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