In his first interview after leaving the Kremlin, former longtime top presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov calls himself a ‘heretical Putinist.’ Here’s what he said in a nutshell.
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In the Kremlin, I managed the Donbas and Ukraine. I left because the context changed. Generally speaking, the journalists Vladimir Solovyov and Alexey Venediktov have already named the reasons I stepped down. I’m going totally AWOL with this resignation. From now on, my involvement in politics will be limited to arguing around the kitchen table, over drinks, and in wacky treatises. I’m a Putinist, but I’m a partly heretical Putinist. I wanted to leave back in 2013, when I realized that there was no place for me in the system, but I returned and chose Ukraine. Even back then, I had a feeling about the coming battle with the West. Our relations with Ukraine were never simple, even when it was part of Russia. Imposing fraternal relations by force is the only method that’s been effective historically when it comes to Ukraine. I don't think anything new is going to be invented here. At the Paris summit, Volodymyr Zelensky got a presidential welcome. He’s no chump. I found out about Russia’s constitutional reforms from news reports. If the changes clarify the president’s powers, then the legal logic is that you’d need to restart everyone’s presidential term clock. I’d never thought of mentioning God in the Constitution. The Good Lord would probably laugh about it, more than anything. I’m in no hurry to find a new job. With all the sanctions against me and my political toxicity, I’m hardly in demand right now.
You can read Surkov’s full interview with Center for Current Policy director Alexey Chesnakov here (in Russian) at Actualcomment.ru.
Summary by Alexander Baklanov, translation by Kevin Rothrock
Photo on front page: Mikhail Mettsel / TASS / Vida Press
(1) Vladimir Solovyov
In January, Kommersant special correspondent Vladimir Solovyov (not to be confused with the television and radio pundit) reported that responsibility for the Donbas and Ukraine was being transferred to Dmitry Kozak, Putin’s deputy chief of staff. Sources told Solovyov that Surkov had opposed compromises in negotiations with Kyiv that Kozak supported. According to Solovyov’s reporting, Kozak’s team also believes that normalizing relations with Ukraine could “weaken or remove entirely” the economic sanctions now in place against Russia.
(2) Alexey Venediktov
In February, Ekho Moskvy editor-in-chief Alexey Venediktov wrote on his Telegram channel that Surkov’s duties were handed over to Dmitry Kozak because the Putin administration decided to change its tactics in Ukraine. Venediktov wrote, “This is replacing the concept of Novorossiya with the concept of returning the Donbas to Ukraine, albeit contaminated with Russian interests (and everything else).”
(3) Russia’s constitutional reforms
In January, Vladimir Putin proposed several sweeping changes to Russia’s Constitution, including redistributing some presidential powers to the Parliament, like the formation of the government cabinet. Putin also advocated stricter limitations on presidential candidates, limiting the reach of international law, and strengthening the role of the State Council. On January 23, the State Duma adopted the first reading of legislation to move forward with Putin's amendments.
(4) What the Kremlin says about this
“Mr. Surkov, who recently returned to private life, is an individual who does not work for the presidential administration or at any other state institution. So this is the opinion of one Russian citizen, granted a very capable Russian citizen and an authoritative voice among politicians and political experts,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Surkov’s interview.
(5) The Center for Current Policy
A private political analysis firm. Since the early 2000s, the center has performed contracted work for the Kremlin. The center is headed by political analyst Alexey Chesnakov, a close associate of former presidential adviser Vladislav Surkov, who recently lost his position in the Putin administration.