Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin is being considered as a successor to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin ru sources close to the Kremlin say.
"Vladimir Putin is considering Vyacheslav Volodin, Alexander Novak, Sergei Naryshkin and Mikhail Galuzin. Volodin is the main contender for the post of Russia's diplomat. According to the source, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov is not on the list to replace Lavrov.
A political technologist close to the Kremlin told us that "Putin is actively testing Volodin. Volodin is rumored to be actively studying foreign languages. He devotes a lot of time to international politics. In the Russian Security Council, Volodin is actively involved in all issues related to foreign policy."
The source says Lavrov will retire March 2025.
"Lavrov has an agreement with Putin - the minister celebrates 75 years and leaves. Lavrov's health has been bad lately - the minister's illnesses have worsened." "Lavrov has heart problems, he's working hard. The doctors are demanding that he keep to a regimen," a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
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Two sources said that Deputy Defense Minister for Finance Tatyana Shevtsova was summoned for questioning. She is a witness in the case of Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov. The security forces are also interested in the testimony of First Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov. The First Deputy Minister of Defense will not move to work in the Security Council apparatus. there is a high probability that Tsalikov will go to work in private business. The source says that Deputy Defense Minister Krivoruchko will soon move to work in the defense industry.
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The resignation of Nikolai Patrushev on the eve of President Putin’s visit to China was a sign for Beijing that the Russian security forces have no complaints about “China’s espionage activities.” Previously, it was Patrushev who repeatedly warned at meetings about the intensification of Chinese espionage activities in the Russian defense and scientific complex. In addition, Beijing suspected that Patrushev was too closely connected with contacts with the United States. And that Patrushev, as Secretary of the Security Council, interfered with the activities of the Chinese company Huawei and TikTok. Patrushev's resignation was too clear a signal that Moscow has no complaints against Beijing. And nothing should overshadow these relationships. Patrushev's resignation repeats the historical fact when Stalin fired his minister Litvinov to demonstrate cooperation with Germany on the eve of the Second World War. Former Security Secretary Patrushev will now be in charge of shipbuilding for Putin and will be forced to contact the Chinese.
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The last point that led to a breakdown in trust between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was telephone conversations with the French Defense Minister in April of this year.
Then Shoigu, without Putin’s sanction, officially announced that Russia was ready for dialogue on Ukraine, the starting points could be based on the “Istanbul Peace Initiative”. After this, the Kremlin rejected and returned to Shoigu’s initiative several times. “A serious discussion apparently arose in the Kremlin about the prospects for military action.”
Later, on the night of May 1, Defense Minister Shoigu went to the headquarters of the military operation and publicly announced problems with the supply of weapons to the front and the repair of equipment.
This statement looked unusual against the backdrop of celebratory reports from the military-industrial complex and Dmitry Medvedev, who is responsible for arms supplies.
Earlier on April 23, during Shoigu’s business trip to Arkhangelsk, the special services arrested Shoigu’s friend and deputy Timur Ivanov; he was accused of corruption, receiving services and patronizing business. Another friend of Shoigu, his first deputy, General Tsalikov, came under investigation. Shoigu’s team reacted extremely negatively to the actions of the secret police. Shoigu himself tried to meet with Putin. And at the meeting I received an offer to resign.
Putin later appointed him Secretary of the Security Council instead of Nikolai Patrushev, who did not agree with the resignations and reforms in the Ministry of Defense. Patrushev was also blamed for poor coordination of security forces in the Crocus story. Patrushev was also likely removed from contacts with US national security officials.
Putin also deprived Dmitry Medvedev of the leadership of the Military-Industrial Commission, admitting that his deputy had failed to organize the required volumes of military equipment, finance and control the defense order. Dmitry Medvedev has recently been in conflict with Rostec and the military-industrial complex, and has been trying to build a working relationship with Alexei Dyumin as a counterweight to Chemezov’s coalition.
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