Russia’s Moving Presidential Target
Who succeeds Vladimir Putin is not as important as how. The real historical significance of the choice that Russia will face in 2008 will be determined not by the next president’s personal qualities, but by his loyalties – that is, to whom he owes his job.
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Recently, a small event caused a major stir in Russian politics. An aide to President Vladimir Putin, Igor Shuvalov, said that it was realistic to expect the appearance of a new person whom Putin would consider his potential successor. The statement hit like a bombshell, producing an explosion of comments.