Vladimir Putin will find it “very hard” to last his next five years in office, the Russian President’s former speechwriter tells Daily Express US.
Putin was sworn in for his fifth term as Russian leader at his inauguration ceremony this week.
This came after Putin’s election win in March, seen by many as a sham vote as opposition figures were barred from rivaling the incumbent.
Abbas Gallyamov, Putin’s speechwriter from 2008-2012, tells Daily Express US that Putin is unlikely to make it to the end of his fifth term in power.
He says the war in Ukraine has caused discontent among Russian elites and also risks leading to an “explosion” of anger among the Russian people.
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Gallyamov said: “It is going to be very hard for him to survive politically, because of the contradictions between him and the society, and the discontent of the elites is growing.
“If he continues to do what he is doing, even a small conflict could explode the situation like with Prigozhin.
“The system is functioning so inefficiently…in such situations where everything is getting worse and worse, and Putin is getting older and older, any small problem could explode.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the Wagner Group mercenaries, was helping Putin by providing fighters for Russia in Ukraine.
In June 2023, Prigozhin stand his soldiers launched a mutiny after clashing with the Russian military.
Two months later, he died in a plane crash which Putin said was caused by accidental detonation of grenades onboard the aircraft.
Many suspect Prigozhin was killed by Putin.
Gallyamov believes that other factors could cause issues for Putin, including his age.
Putin, now 71, could be less able to deal with the pressure of being Russian President as he gets older, Gallyamov says.
He added: “The pressure on him will build because the economy is getting worse, politics is getting worse, people are getting tired of the war. Protests are growing.
“It is getting more and more difficult to get the resources necessary for the war. The tension will increase, and his ability to withstand the tension will increase due to his age.”
