Putin's Inner Circle Are Positioning Themselves For The Future When He Is Gone

Moscow Times: Vladimir Putin's Inner Circle Is Splintering (Op-ed)

Viktor Zolotov’s video message to Alexei Navalny shows that, increasingly, it's every man for himself.

Viktor Zolotov, commander in chief of the National Guard, recently released a video message challenging opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has accused Zolotov of corruption, to a duel. Zolotov, one of the most formidable and secretive representatives of the security services and a former bodyguard of President Vladimir Putin, is viewed as close to the president. The very idea of such a video message, as well as its substance and style, runs counter to standard protocol in a political system where conflicts are usually resolved in a very different way.

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WNU Editor: I cringed when I saw the above video. But that is how Putin's inner circle talk and think. What is unique about the above video is that in the past the Kremlin media handlers always made sure that the Russian public never saw this side of Putin's government. Apparently no more now. Viktor Zolotov made the decision himself to post this video and to send his threatening message to opposition leader Alexei Navalny .... and he certainly did not care what the Kremlin thought. The fact that he has not been publicly rebuked since the release of this video tells me that Putin's office has either lost control of the media narrative (which I doubt), or the decision was made that his inner circle would now be permitted to have their own media voice independent from the Kremlin. I know that everyone is now positioning themselves for when Putin leaves office in six years, it is just that Viktor Zolotov appears to be the first out of the gate.