Vladimir Putin: ‘Who will succeed me is always on my mind – The choice is the people’s’

The longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. Yet, the issue of succession has always been on his mind. This reportedly emerged in comments made by Vladimir Putin today, Sunday (04.05.25), as the Russian president hinted that there could be competition among several candidates, according to Reuters. Vladimir Putin, an ex-KGB officer who took over the presidency on the last day of 1999 from Boris Yeltsin, served as president from 1999 to 2008, then as prime minister until 2012, and again as president from 2012 to the present. “I am always thinking about it,” said the 72-year-old Putin when asked if he considers who will succeed him in a state television documentary marking a quarter-century in power titled ‘Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 Years.’ “Ultimately, the choice belongs to the people, the Russian people,” Putin stated. “There should be one person, or rather several people, so the public has a choice.” There is currently no clear successor to Putin, although under the Russian Constitution, if the president is unable to fulfill his duties, the prime minister—currently Mikhail Mishustin—would assume presidential powers.