Image courtesy of Kremlin.ru. (CC BY 4.0)
This article was originally published by the Carnegie Moscow Center on 13 March 2020.
Putin, a man torn by conflicting impulses, has opted for stability in moving to stay on as president after 2024. In doing so, he surprised the elite and even some in the presidential administration, deceiving those around him—though not the public—with his talk of changes in leadership and overhauling Russia’s political system. His real intentions are impossible to know, but his priority is clear: keeping his options open.