Political scientist Samorukov:

“Courtiers feed Putin’s delusions”

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin(Bild: AFP/AP/Sergei Guneyev)

Moscow's security apparatus is currently under pressure to protect President Vladimir Putin. His fifth inauguration is planned for Tuesday. The system is not yet shaking. Putin lives "in a close circle of obsequious courtiers", said political scientist Maxim Samorukov from the US think tank Carnegie.

These courtiers would only feed his "prejudices, resentments and delusions." The wrong decisions could lead to the collapse of the system, said Samorukov. "Everything could come apart at the seams at any moment." According to him, the danger comes from the inner core itself, not from Putin's opponents, as the opposition is fragmented. 

The Russian ruler Vladimir Putin(Bild: AFP/AP/Sergei Guneyev)

Power apparatus brimming with self-confidence
In the third year of the war in Ukraine, Putin's power apparatus is brimming with self-confidence. Western sanctions have so far been unable to stop the Russian war machine or bring the country to its knees economically. The president has repeatedly declared that he is striving for a new multipolar world order - away from the supremacy of the USA. The war in Ukraine is being stylized as a fight against NATO and the West as a whole.

Putin's system now seems more invulnerable than ever.

Politologe Maxim Samorukow

According to experts, a good employment situation and stable incomes ensure loyalty among the population. "Putin's system seems more invulnerable today than ever before," said Samorukov. Nevertheless, analysts say that others could try to seize power. Influential groups are "even more actively attacking each other" than before the war, said political scientist Andrei Pertsev, a colleague of Samorukov. Only recently, a deputy of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was arrested on corruption charges (see video above).

Even more repression
Experts expect political repression to intensify in the coming years. The Kremlin leader has been in power for almost a quarter of a century. After his re-inauguration on Tuesday, he will appoint a new government, as the existing one traditionally submits its resignation. However, changes are hardly to be expected.