Kremlin Opposition Leader Navalny Appears In Court As Calls Grow Abroad For His Immediate Release

 

Daily Mail: Alexei Navalny condemns 'mockery of justice' as he appears in makeshift court a day after his arrest in Russia – while Moscow dismisses Western demands for his release 

 * Navalny was arrested over a 2014 conviction after landing in Moscow on Sunday 

 * He resurfaced at a court hearing today which he condemned as 'lawlesssness' 

 * The US said the arrest was the 'latest in a series of attempts to silence Navalny' * Britain, France and Germany also called for release but Russia rejected criticism 

 * Navalny returned to Russia after recovering in Germany from nerve agent attack 

Alexei Navalny condemned a 'mockery of justice' today as he resurfaced in a makeshift Moscow courtroom a day after he was arrested on his return to Russia. 

The Kremlin critic, who faces a potential prison term over a 2014 conviction he says was based on trumped-up charges, was hauled into the Moscow police station on Monday after allegedly being denied access to his lawyers. 

'I've seen a lot of mockery of justice... but they have ripped up and thrown away' Russia's criminal code, Navalny said in a video from the hastily-arranged court hearing. 'This is impossible. It's ultimate lawlessness.'

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WNU Editor: This has been the official Kremlin response .... Navalny arrest being used as tool to distract from crises in West - Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov (RT). More here .... Western states use Navalny saga to distract from crises at home, says Lavrov (TASS). More here .... Zakharova Calls For Respecting International Law After Sullivan Comments on Navalny (Sputnik). 

 More News On The Return Of Kremlin Opposition Leader Navalny To Russia 

Live Updates: Navalny Goes on Trial in Police Station Following Return to Russia -- Moscow Times 

Kremlin critic Navalny decries ‘mockery of justice’ as state seeks jail term -- France 24 

Navalny decries 'mockery of justice' at rushed hearing -- DW 

Russian prosecutors want Kremlin foe Navalny jailed for 30 days, Moscow tells West to butt out -- Reuters 

Kremlin critic Navalny appears in court as calls grow abroad for his release -- The Guardian 

Alexei Navalny: EU and US demand release of poisoned Putin critic -- BBC 

Alexei Navalny's detainment is 'utterly incomprehensible,' says Germany's Maas -- DW 

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo leads world condemnation of Kremlin for arresting Alexei Navalny - but Moscow hits back telling Americans: 'Deal with problems in your own country' -- Daily Mail 

Free Navalny, Western Leaders Tell Russia -- Moscow Times 

Navalny’s arrest adds to tension between Russia and the West -- AP 

Navalny Plane Diversion Was 'Reckless,' Says Pilot of Another Hindered Flight -- Moscow Times 

WATCH Russian opposition figure Navalny being detained at passport control at Moscow airport -- RT

Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Posts Hospital Photo Of Himself. Vows To Return To Russia

© Instagram / navalny

Daily Mail: Back from the dead: Defiant Putin foe Alexei Navalny is pictured for first time since he was poisoned by novichok 26 days ago as he poses on hospital bed surrounded by his family

* Navalny said he was 'able to breathe on my own all day' a month after poisoning
* Berlin hospital doctors say the Putin critic's condition 'continues to improve'
* Navalny was taken ill in August in what Germany says was a nerve agent attack

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny posed on his German hospital bed with his family today and announced he could breathe by himself a month after he was poisoned with Novichok.

Taunting the Kremlin in a defiant Instagram post, Navalny appeared with his wife Yulia and their two children from the Berlin hospital where he was flown for treatment after falling ill.

'Hello, this is Navalny,' he said. 'I can still hardly do anything, but yesterday I was able to breathe on my own all day. Actually on my own, no extra help.

'I liked it very much. It's a remarkable process that is underestimated by many. Strongly recommended,' Navalny said in his first social media post for 26 days.

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WNU Editor: He is very lucky to be alive.

More News On Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Posting A Hospital Photo Of Himself

Navalny posts hospital photo of himself, plans Russia return -- AP
Putin opponent Navalny posts photo from hospital, plans to return to Russia -- Reuters
'Hi, this is Navalny': poisoned Russian opposition leader posts hospital photo -- The Guardian
Navalny posts picture from Berlin hospital, says he can breathe on his own -- France 24
'Hi, this is Navalny': Poisoned Kremlin critic posts his own update on condition -- DW
Alexei Navalny posts photo of himself sitting up in hospital bed, says he's breathing on his own after Novichok poisoning -- ABC News Online
Navalny posts FIRST picture from Berlin hospital: Spokesman insists he'll to return Russia, Kremlin 'happy' to see his recovery -- RT
Alexei Navalny: Poisoned Putin critic 'will return to Russia' -- BBC

Former Kremlin Insider Explains How Putin Remains In Power

Sergei Pugachev is seen during an interview with Reuters in Paris, France, September 22, 2015. REUTERS/John Schults/File Photo

Reuters: Exclusive: Former Kremlin insider recounts Putin’s moves to retain power

LONDON (Reuters) - When Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing for last month’s nationwide vote on potentially extending his rule until 2036, he let the veil slip on part of the calculation behind the constitutional change.

“If this doesn’t happen, then in about two years – and I know this from personal experience – the normal rhythm of work of many parts of government will be replaced by a search for a possible successor,” Putin said in an interview with state TV channel Rossiya. “We must be working, not looking for successors.”

The Kremlin won the vote, declaring it a triumph. The constitution now will allow Putin to return to power for another two six-year terms. Independent monitor Golos, however, reported unprecedented vote fraud, and political opponents say the elaborate maneuvering over the ballot has weakened Putin’s legitimacy. Public discontent over Putin’s rule has begun to spill into the open in Russia’s Far East, where tens of thousands have marched in protest for the past three weekends.

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WNU Editor: This sounds about right. The only thing that I would like to know is what did then Prime Minster Putin say to then President Medvedev to convince him to not run for the Presidency a second time. That meeting was only between the two of them, and behind closed doors. All that I know is that after that meeting Medvedev was a completely changed person.

Is A Power Struggle Taking Place Inside The Kremlin?

Reuters

Jacob Heilbrunn, National Interest: Interview with Konstantin Remchukov: Why Vladimir Putin Will Likely Resign In 2024

National Interest editor Jacob Heilbrunn interviews the leading Russian journalist and Moscow local official Konstantin Remchukov about whether Russian president Vladimir Putin is initiating a brutal crackdown against political and media figures inside Russia—and whether a power struggle is taking place inside the Kremlin.

Jacob Heilbrunn: You originally thought the vote on Russian president Vladimir Putin’s extension in office would lead to a less restrictive Russia. But is the reverse occurring?

Konstantin Remchukov: No, my perception is that constitutional changes brought an end to the opposition’s political line, which was called transition. Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Alexei Navalny have been pushing for years ago for a future Russia. They tried to implant in the public mind the idea that the only thing that is worth talking about is a transition from Putin’s Russia. The response from Putin, however, was unexpected, namely, the drastic change in the constitution that allows him to run in 2024. By these legal acts the Kremlin stopped the entire concept of transition. It’s irrelevant. That was Putin’s idea about how to react to the opposition strategy.

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WNU Editor: No one that I know in Russia is enthusiastic that Putin may run again in 2024. No one. And while Russian journalist and Moscow local official Konstantin Remchukov believes in the above interview that President Putin will resign, I say he will not simply because there is no one that he believes is ready to replace him.

Widespread Fraud In Russian Vote To Extend Putin's Rule?

A woman wears a face mask with the message "No To Putin" during a protest against the constitutional amendments in St. Petersburg on July 1.

RFE: Election Monitors Find 'Unprecedented' Levels Of Fraud In Russian Vote On Extending Putin's Rule

MOSCOW -- The day President Vladimir Putin declared victory in a vote on constitutional changes that pave the way for him to rule Russia until 2036, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it a "triumphal referendum on confidence" in the former KGB officer, who has already spent over two decades in power.

Official results of the weeklong vote that ended July 1 showed that 77.92 percent of Russian voters endorsed the constitutional changes, with only 21.26 against. Turnout was 68 percent, the Central Election Commission said.

"Such a high turnout and such a high level of support was very difficult to predict," Peskov said in a statement to reporters.

Other officials quickly chimed in.

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Update: Ballot Fraud Gave Russia's Putin 22 Million Extra Votes, Says Expert (Newsweek)

WNU Editor: According to the Russian Central Election Commission (via through TASS) .... 77.92 percent of voters supported changes in the constitution. 21.27 percent opposed. The official turnout was 67.97 percent. What is telling to me is that when the results were announced, no one cheered. No one applauded. To put it bluntly. Everyone knew their vote made no difference.

Update #2: Will he listen to new ideas? .... Russia Has Given Putin The Result He Wanted: Now He Needs New Ideas (Forbes).

Russians Grant President Putin The Right To Extend His Rule Until 2036 In Landslide Vote

Daily Mail: Vladimir Putin is declared the winner of referendum five hours BEFORE polls close and will seize power until 2036 after 73% back him in 'rigged'vote

* Referendum will approve changes allowing Putin to run again in 2024 and 2030
* Russian officials issued 'preliminary results' showing 73% backing for the change
* Package of changes will also increase Putin's powers over parliament and courts

Vladimir Putin is clear to stay in power until 2036 after winning a referendum to prolong his rule - in a landslide victory declared before polls had even closed.

Russia's election commission issued 'preliminary results' this afternoon showing Putin on course to win 73 per cent of the vote.

The early announcement was the latest oddity in an election where Putin's victory was seen as a certainty following a massive state propaganda campaign, a prize draw offering cars and apartments to lure voters into taking part and reports of irregular turnout figures in the regions.

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WNU Editor: The vote in support for these constitutional changes is over 70%.

More News On Russia's Constitutional Referendum

Constitutional amendments vote in Russia: RT special coverage -- RT
Russians grant Putin right to extend his rule until 2036 in landslide vote, initial results show -- Reuters
Russia nears end of vote on extending Putin’s rule to 2036 -- AP
Putin takes part in vote on constitutional amendments -- TASS
Russia reforms: Early results suggest Putin victory in reform vote -- BBC
Putin seeks ‘irrefutable proof’ of support as Russian constitutional reform vote nears end -- France 24
Putin declared triumphant in referendum allowing him to rule until 2036 - five hours before polls close -- The Independent
Turnout in Russian constitutional vote now over 60%, first results coming in from Far East -- RT

Vladimir Putin Is Set To Win Constitutional Referendum Vote

Vladimir Putin's approval ratings are at an all-time low - but he is expected to win a referendum to keep him in power until 2036

Daily Mail: Vladimir Putin is set to win referendum vote that will allow him to rule Russia until 2036 when he will be 83

* The vote closes on July 1 and, if successful, Vladimir Putin could rule until 2036
* His approval ratings are at an all-time low but there is little chance of him losing
* Reports say that people have been able to vote twice - online and using a ballot

Concern is rising over election fraud in Vladimir Putin's controversial constitutional referendum which would allow him to rule Russia until the age of 83 in 2036.

Pictures show Russians voting in bizarre makeshift polling stations on tree stumps, in car boots, at children's playgrounds and on park benches as the poll goes ahead during the pandemic.

Approval in the vote that concludes July 1 will allow Putin to seek two more six-year terms after his current one ends in 2024.

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WNU Editor: Sad, but true .... Vote to extend Putin’s rule faces little protest in Russia (AP).

Russia's Putin Says He May Seek Another Term If Constitutional Amendments Passed

Russian President Vladimir Putin (file photo)

RFE: Putin Signals Possibility Of Seeking Reelection If Russians Back Constitutional Change

President Vladimir Putin has said that he would consider standing for election again if Russian voters approve a controversial constitutional amendment in a vote scheduled for next month.

Putin’s comments, broadcast on state-run TV on June 21, were the strongest indications to date of his intentions, and come just 10 days before the July 1 national vote.

"I have not made any decisions yet," he said in comments excerpted by Russian news agencies. "I am not ruling out the possibility of running for office if the option appears in the constitution. We’ll see."

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WNU Editor: Groan.....

More News On Russia's Putin Saying He May Seek Another Term If Constitutional Amendments Passed

Russia's Putin says he may seek another term if constitutional changes passed -- Reuters
Putin Hints He Could Seek a Fifth Term as President in 2024 -- Bloomberg
Putin not ruling out he will run for new presidential term -- TASS
‘We’ll see:' Ahead of 'national vote' on changes to constitution Putin doesn't rule out running for fifth presidential term -- RT
Putin Not Ruling Out Running for President If Constitutional Amendments Passed -- Sputnik

Russias Opposition Activists Have Moved Online To Launch Protests Against Putin

Moscow Times/AFP: Russian Opposition Holds Online Protest Against Putin

Russian opposition activists avoided lockdown measures by holding an online protest on Tuesday against President Vladimir Putin's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speakers also criticized Putin's proposed constitutional changes that allow him to extend his stay in office.

But the YouTube feed experienced serious technical problems, making the speeches initially inaudible and the number of viewers was only around four thousand.

The online event was organized by a group called "The No Campaign," led by Ilya Azar, a journalist at independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and a municipal lawmaker.

The online format aimed to recreate the feeling of a street demonstration as Moscow is under a strict lockdown, Azar told AFP.

"In normal times it would be weird to organize a rally online," he said. "This is an attempt to find a new format."

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WNU Editor: I am underwhelmed.

Is The Kremlin's 'Gray Cardinal' Leaving Putin?

FILE PHOTO. © RIA Novosti / Alexei Nikolsky / Pool

RT: Long-time Putin aide Vladislav Surkov leaving Kremlin ‘over Ukraine course shift,’ reports claim

Russian media is all abuzz with reports that Vladislav Surkov, former Deputy PM, the ex-deputy head of the presidential administration and Vladimir Putin’s long-time influential aide, has exited government service.

The reports cite Surkov’s close associate Alexey Chesnakov who, writing on his Telegram Channel, said Surkov left his post, as an advisor to President Vladimir Putin, "in connection with the change of course in policy towards Ukraine." He noted that Surkov himself promised to reveal the details and talk about his future career plans next month.

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WNU Editor: This blog has been following Vladislav Surkov for years, and IMHO he was the main strategist who helped Putin become Russian President .... Vladislav Surkov, The Real Genius Behind Putin's Rise To Power (October 13, 2011). More here .... The Man Behind The Men In Power In Russia (November 6, 2011). On a side note, this is what he sees is the future of Russia, and one that I think Putin has been following for the past year .... Top Putin Aide: Russia Preparing For '100 Years (200? 300?) Of Geopolitical Solitude' (May 13, 2018). As to rumours of him leaving .... they have been around for a while. But if he is leaving, it will not be due to a change in Ukraine policy. He will be leaving because of Putin's changes in the constitution, and his desire to rule Russia until the day he dies.There is a great deal of backlash against Putin within Russia's political establishment, and Vladislav Surkov's rumoured departure is a reflection of that.

Russian Parliament Fast-Tracks Putin's Constitutional Changes

RT: Russian MPs give first nod to sweeping constitutional changes proposed by Putin

n a unanimous move in the State Duma, lawmakers backed a bill seeking to overhaul several articles of the constitution, just a week after President Putin proposed major amendments to the law including about his own post.

Proposed by Vladimir Putin in his annual state-of-the-nation address, the changes seek to give more powers to parliament, which will be able to pick the prime minister. The premier’s cabinet picks, currently not requiring a nod from MPs, would require parliamentary confirmation and could not be rejected by the president.

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WNU Editor: After tabling the bill to amend the constitution, it was approved unanimously by the Duma within two hours. This is the definition of a rubber-stamp parliament.

More News On Russia's Parliament Fast-Tracking Putin's Constitutional Changes

State Duma adopts bill on amendments to Constitution in first reading -- TASS
Russian State Duma Supports Constitutional Amendments Legislation in Preliminary Vote -- Sputnik
Russian MPS give quick first approval to Putin reforms -- AFP
Putin's political shake-up backed by Russian parliament in initial vote -- Reuters
Putin’s Overhaul Gets Initial Approval in Russian Parliament -- Bloomberg
Russia's Duma unanimously approves Putin's constitution shake-up -- Al Jazeera

Former Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Has Become Putin's 'Scapegoat'

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the rain during a wreath-laying ceremony marking the anniversary of the Nazi German invasion in 1941, by the Kremlin wall in Moscow, Russia June 22, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg: Putin Hunted for Scapegoats and Found Medvedev

When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a radical overhaul of Russia’s governance system this week, he also ended the Medvedev era. Dmitry Medvedev was, at least formally, Putin’s closest sidekick, the politician with whom the strongman was most willing to share formal power. Whether or not it’s time for Medvedev’s political obit, his stint near the top of Russia’s so-called power vertical will serve as an example of how the Putin system’s inertia can suffocate the best modernizing intentions.

Medvedev abruptly resigned as prime minister on Wednesday, without giving advance notice to members of his government, who also had to tender their resignations. “We as the government must give our country’s president the opportunity to make all the necessary decisions,” Medvedev said, though it wasn’t clear how his continued occupancy of the top cabinet post could get in the way of Putin’s reform.

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WNU Editor: Dmitry Medvedev says he is going to still lead the Party .... Medvedev Says He's Hanging On To United Russia Party Chairmanship (RFE). Even though United Russia has a super-majority in the State Duma (Russia's parliament), public support for the party is now almost non-existent. IMHO the future does not look bright for the former Prime Minister.

Russian President Putin's "State Of The Union' Speech Annotated

Radio Free Europe: The Annotated Putin: ‘State Of The Nation’ Dissected

What Putin said, what he didn’t say -- and what he really meant during his state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow on January 15, 2020.

* This transcript has been taken directly from the Kremlin's official website. It has not been edited to RFE/RL style.

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WNU Editor: A must watch for all Russian and Putin watchers.

Former Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Hints That Chaos Will Be Russia's Future

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, March 27, 2014. Ekaterina Shtukina/RIA Novosti/Pool/Reuters

Julia Davis, Daily Beast: Did Russian Prime Minister Medvedev Drop a Grim Hint About Putin’s Latest Power Grab?

Reading from Chekhov’s “A Night in the Cemetery” on national television Tuesday, Dmitry Medvedev foreshadowed the upheaval to come with his government's resignation on Wednesday.

At a celebration of the Russian Orthodox New Year on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chose a grim message, the sarcasm of which left his audience on edge. But, then, Medvedev probably knew what Wednesday would bring—the resignation of his entire government—and the audience did not.

On national television, the prime minister read at length from Anton Chekhov’s story "A Night in the Cemetery," which suggests with ironic wit that celebrating the coming of the New Year is a foolish pursuit, unworthy of a properly functioning mind, since “every coming year is as bad as the previous one,” and the newest year is bound to be even worse. Instead of celebrating the New Year, Chekhov wrote—and Medvedev read—one should suffer, cry and attempt suicide. Every new year brings you closer to death, makes you poorer, your bald spots larger and your wife older, he said.

Medvedev’s sour greetings brought on some awkward laughs and sparse applause from confused Russian bureaucrats in the studio audience, most of whom remained stone-faced. The prime minister seemed nervous and almost dropped his papers at the end of the speech.

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WNU Editor: I am speculating now, but I think it was only the day before he was fired that Russian Prime Minister Medvedev and his cabinet learned that they were going to be gone the next day. As to when did Putin make the decision to fire his Prime Minister and the cabinet .... it had to be between Russian Christmas and Russian Orthodox New Year (January 7 - 14). Everyone was distracted with enjoying the holidays, a perfect time for Putin to plot and implement his agenda without anyone noticing and/or leaking it.

Who Will Be Russian President Putin's Successor?

Mark Galeotti, The Spectator: The hunt is on for Putin’s successor

Putin does like to spring a surprise. The first hour or so of his state of the nation address yesterday was the usual fare: Russia standing tall again, measures to address poverty, encouraging larger families. So far, so cut and paste. Then suddenly he dropped a series of constitutional bombshells: tougher presidential term limits, more powers for both parliament and the prime minister. Within three hours, prime minister Dmitry Medvedev was clearing his desk, and we had a sense of the shape of Russia after Putin’s presidency.

Which is not, by any means, Russia after Putin. His current term ends in 2024, and although no one doubted he could stay on if he wanted, regardless of term limits, the real question was whether he truly wanted to. In recent years, even as his international stature as geopolitical bad boy has grown, he has seemed increasingly detached from the humdrum challenges at home: economic diversification, demographic decline, pension reform and even the politics of refuse disposal.

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WNU Editor: First things first. The firing/demotion of former Prime Minister Medvedev means that he will not be Putin's successor. And the reason why is simple. President Putin also reads polls, and he noticed that Medvedev is probably the most despised politician in Russia. Allegations and multiple videos of Medvedev's lavish properties on social media have given him the image of being the most corrupt person in Russia, and it is an image that is now stuck with him. Bottom line. I far as Putin is concerned, Medvedev will not win the next Presidential election. After Medvedev there is no one else that Putin can really trust, hence this search for an alternative path to protect his position and status. The problem that I see is that there is really no clear path on what needs to be done, and there is certainly no appetite among the Russian public for this type of change. And as for a successor. The ones who are well positioned to win the next Russian Presidential election have an agenda that is completely opposite from Putin's. A prospect that is totally unacceptable to Putin.

Russian MPs Confirm Mikhail Mishustin As New Prime Minister

Daily Mail: 'I'm sure the Russian people will support me': Putin is confident of becoming Russia's leader for LIFE after changing the constitution

* Putin says he believes Russians will support sweeping changes to constitution
* Planned changes could pave the way for him to extend leadership beyond 2024
* Putin is supposed to step down as president by 2024 under the current rules

Vladimir Putin believes the Russian people will support his sweeping changes to the country's constitution that could keep him in power long after his presidential term ends.

The Russian President announced, as part of his annual state address on Wednesday, changes that could pave the way for him to extend his leadership beyond 2024.

A day after the shock announcement, that saw his entire government - including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev - resign, Putin said he believed the people supported these changes.

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WNU Editor: Russia's new Prime Minister is a very rich man on a Russian technocrat's salary .... Putin critics ask how his PM choice acquired expensive properties (The Guardian). More here .... Putin’s New PM Hiding Elite Moscow Property – Proekt (Moscow Times).

More News On Russian President Putin's Constitutional Changes

Russian MPs confirm Mikhail Mishustin as new prime minister after cabinet resignation -- RT
Russian parliament backs Putin's pick for PM after 'January Revolution' -- Reuters
Putin fast-tracks effort to extend his rule, new PM approved -- AP
Russian parliament approves Mikhail Mishustin as new prime minister -- DW
After shakeup, Russian Duma approves Mikhail Mishustin as next PM -- UPI
Putin's party backs president's pick for prime minister -- Al Jazeera
Who is Mikhail Mishustin — Russia's next prime minister? -- DW
Russia’s new PM a career bureaucrat with no political aims -- AP
Russian political earthquake: Putin sets out plan for Kremlin departure & Medvedev resigns -- Bryan MacDonald, RT
Putin may be following Xi's lead, but he's nowhere near as secure as the Chinese leader -- James Griffiths, CNN
Putin Shakes Up Russia to Keep Things the Same -- Anthony Halpin, Bloomberg
Like Stalin, he'll rule to the death: Vladimir Putin's new constitutional changes are an audaciously disguised power grab for the future -- Mark Almond, Daily Mail
Dmitry Medvedev: the rise and fall of the Robin to Putin’s Batman -- Luke Harding, The Guardian
Putin's plans are all about keeping his hands on levers of power -- Andrew Roth, The Guardian
Vladimir Putin clears the way for his next step to everlasting power -- Matt Bevan, ABC News Online
What is Russia's Putin up to? -- Paul Kirby BBC
'Not Everything Works Out': Medvedev's Career, in Photos -- Moscow Times

Russian Government Resigns. President Putin Signals That He Wants To Change The Constitution

RT: Russian government resigns after President Putin’s state-of-the-nation address proposes changes to the constitution

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that the entire government is resigning in a surprise statement released shortly after President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address.

Accepting the resignation, Putin thanked the ministers for their hard work and asked them to function as a caretaker government until a new one can be formed.

Medvedev and Putin had met for a work meeting to discuss the state-of-the-nation address earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin said. Medvedev explained that the cabinet is resigning in accordance with Article 117 of the Russian Constitution, which states that the government can offer its resignation to the president, who can either accept or reject it.

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WNU Editor: This move by Russian President Putin has surprised a lot of people in Russia. He is also breaking a promise to those who make up Russia's establishment that he was not going to manipulate or alter the constitution to stay in power after 2024. He lied. There is going to be a lot of blow-back in Russia against this, and I predict very little if any public support. They will see it for what it is .... a power grab. If he puts this to a referendum today and it is done fairly, it will be easily defeated with a sizable majority. So why did he make this announcement today with four years left in his mandate? I think it is a message telling everyone that he is not a "lame duck". For the past year Russian political parties and leaders have been positioning themselves to be ready to run for the Russian Presidency in 2024. They are influencing policy, government legislation, and public debate on what should be the future of Russia. While all of this was happening, Russian President Putin was being ignored, and my guess is that he decided it was in his interest to put a stop to it now before it gets out of hand. But the problem is that I could tell that this proposal to change the constitution was done very quickly, and the sudden resignation of the government was done at the last moment. Even President Putin's statement that Prime Minister Medvedev's government was a failure was also out of character. They have known each other for years, and I detected a certain amount of animosity from Putin directed at his now former Prime Minister. And as for ex-Prime Minister Medvedev, he is the big loser in this power shift, and from what I saw he definitely did not look happy on what was happening.

More News On The Russian Government Resigning

Highlights of Putin's State of the Nation Address -- TASS
Russian government resigns -- TASS
Putin proposes major amendments to Russia’s constitution incl. about his own post, says people should vote on changes -- RT
Russian government resigns as Vladimir Putin plans future -- BBC
Russian PM and government quit as Putin proposes constitutional changes -- The Guardian
Russian prime minister submits resignation to Putin -- AP
Putin uses state of nation speech to flag referendum on constitutional change -- France 24
Putin engineers shakeup that could keep him in power longer -- AP
Russia to get new prime minister after government resigns -- DW
Russian Government resigns after Putin calls for constitutional overhaul -- ABC News Online
Putin appoints Mishustin as PM after Medvedev's resignation -- France 24
Putin names successor to Medvedev as Russian prime minister -- The Hill
Russian gov't resigns to clear path for Putin's major constitutional changes -- UPI
Russian gov't quits after Putin proposes constitutional reform -- Al Jazeera
Putin proposes Federal Tax Service head Mishustin as next Prime Minister -- RT
Putin puts forward little-known tax chief as new Russian PM: Kremlin -- Reuters
'Technocratic placeholder'? Putin picks low-profile tax chief as Russian PM -- Reuters
Putin shake-up could keep him in power past 2024 as cabinet steps aside -- Reuters
Putin proposes vesting Russia’s lower house with power to nominate PM, cabinet -- TASS
Putin to introduce office of Security Council deputy head, appoint Medvedev -- TASS
Outgoing PM Medvedev to become deputy head of Russia’s Security Council -- RT
Putin to introduce office of Security Council deputy head, appoint Medvedev -- TASS
Russia's parliament to consider new PM's candidacy on Thursday: RIA -- Reuters
Putin's power grab: Russian government RESIGNS after president unveils reforms which would weaken Vladimir's successor and allow him to pull the strings as PM after presidential term ends -- Daily Mail
Putin consolidates power as Russian government resigns -- CNBC
Putin is sending a message to the world with his shock announcement -- CNN
'A Bloodless Revolution.' Putin’s Plan to Rewrite Russia’s Constitution Could Allow Him to Lead for Years to Come -- Time

Will Russian President Putin Retire By 2024?

Valentin Yumashev and Vladimir Pozner Screenshot Youtube

Newsweek: Boris Yeltsin's Former Chief of Staff '99 Percent Certain' Vladimir Putin Will Not Be Russia's President in Five Years

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want to stay in power beyond the end of his current term and will have stepped down by 2024, the chief of staff to Russia's first President Boris Yeltsin has predicted.

Valentin Yumashev was a senior aide to Yeltsin in the waning years of the latter's time in office. On Friday, he spoke about Yeltsin and his successor Putin at the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg in eatsern Russia, The Moscow Times reported.

Yumashev—who is married to one of Yelstin's daughters—has also acted as an unpaid adviser to Putin for 18 years. The two presidents were close allies, and Putin's first act upon taking office was to sign an immunity order for any criminal charges that might be levelled at Yeltsin.

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WNU Editor: I also believe that Russian President Putin will announce his retirement near the end of this term. There are some more interesting tidbits of information on Putin from this Moscow Times report .... ‘He Tried to Fire Putin Twice’: Yeltsin’s Chief of Staff Remembers the 1990s (Moscow Times).

Russia's Opposition Parties Need A New Approach To Defeat Putin

DW: Alexei Navalny: Most Russians don't care about his work, poll shows

He has been targeted by police raids, faced hefty fines and long jail terms. But a new poll has revealed that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is barely on the radar in his home country.

Only 9% of Russians have a positive view of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's work, Russian media reported on Tuesday.

A poll conducted by the reputable Levada Center revealed that one in four Russians even have a negative view of Navalny's endeavors. The center quizzed over 1,600 Russian adults in both rural and urban environments in late October, according to the Interfax news agency.

Notably, 31% of the respondents said they did not care either way, and another 31% told researchers they did not know enough about Navalny's actions.

The 43-year-old activist serves as the leader of the "Russia of the Future" opposition party and is also the founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). The organization has faced repeated raids and investigations by Russian authorities after exposing high-profile graft inside the government.

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WNU Editor: Alexei Navalny is known in the large cities, but in the rural regions of the country he is a complete unknown. Also .... incumbency always helps the politician in power .... whether in the U.S. or in Russia. And in the case of Russia, Putin as the Presidential incumbent holds all the cards. My advice to the opposition. Find someone that the average Russian citizen can relate and identify with. In short, find someone like Ukraine President Zelensky. A person who is already known by the public, but who could pivot into politics very quickly and surprising the establishment while doing it.

Moscow's Local Elections Show Waning Support for President Putin

Time: Moscow's Elections Show Putin Is Losing the War at Home

Russian liberals are celebrating the relative success of the Communist Party and other Kremlin-friendly quasi-opposition parties in the elections to the Moscow city council on Sunday as an almost revolutionary breakthrough — but it takes some unpacking to explain why. Candidates from these parties gained around 20 out of 45 seats in the council; meanwhile the ruling United Russia party, which supports Russian President Vladimir Putin, only just retained a majority, losing about 13 seats in the city council (from the current 38 down to just 25).

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WNU Editor: Forget about Moscow, the outer regions are definitely not happy with what happened in local elections this weekend .... Protest Erupts in Far East Russia After Pro-Kremlin Candidate's Victory (Moscow Times).

Update: Analysis is true .... Losses for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia in Moscow election put down a marker for the future (The Conversation)