Former Russian Prime Minister calls for Putin to remain in power past 2024, calling it his 'cross to bear'

In an interview with Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti published Tuesday, former Russian Prime Minister Sergey Stepashin called for Putin to remain in office past 2024 “whether he wants to or not.”

“A lot of people are probably thinking about whether Putin should run for president in two years or not; I’ve also thought about this. But right now, it’s completely obvious that there can be no substitute [for Putin], especially in the situation of partial mobilization, [which] basically [amounts to] active hostilities against NATO and the Americans,” Stepashin said.

Stepashin also said that while he believes “you can’t be the leader of a country forever,” Putin needs to remain in office in this specific case.

“We can’t have a repeat of 1917, when Nicholas II’s inner circle essentially betrayed him. I believe that whether he wants to or not, this is Putin’s cross to bear until we’re actually able to achieve true peace,” Stepashin said.

Putin’s fourth term as president began on May 7, 2018. Russia’s next presidential election is slated to be held in 2024. According to the Russian Constitution, which was amended in 2020, Putin will be allowed to run for another term.

On October 7, 2022, Vladimir Putin turned 70. To mark the occasion, Meduza spoke to sources close to the Russian government about how things are going for the president. Their accounts painted a picture of a Kremlin in serious crisis.