A new oligarchy
Now, here's a perspective to consider for the new year. The Guardian's (UK) Luke Harding wrote an analysis of Kremlin politics and finance.Putin, the Kremlin power struggle and the $40bn fortune
"An unprecedented battle is taking place inside the Kremlin in advance of Vladimir Putin's departure from office, the Guardian has learned, with claims that the president presides over a secret multibillion-dollar fortune.
"Rival clans inside the Kremlin are embroiled in a struggle for the control of assets as Putin prepares to transfer power to his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev...
"At stake are billions of dollars in assets belonging to Russian state-run corporations. Additionally, details of Putin's own personal fortune, reportedly hidden in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, are being discussed for the first time.
"Asked how much Putin was worth, [Russian political expert Stanislav Belkovsky] said: 'At least $40bn. Maximum we cannot know. I suspect there are some businesses I know nothing about.' He added: 'It may be more. It may be much more...'...
"Discussion of Putin's wealth has previously been taboo. But the claims have leaked out against the backdrop of a fight inside the Kremlin between a group led by Igor Sechin, Putin's influential deputy chief of staff, and a 'liberal' clan that includes Medvedev.
"The Sechin group is made up of siloviki - Kremlin officials with security/military backgrounds...
"Insiders say the struggle has little to do with ideology. They characterise it as a war between business competitors. Putin's decision to endorse as president Medvedev - who has no links with the secret services - dealt a severe blow to the hardline Sechin clan, they add...
"Belkovsky adds that the west has misunderstood Putin and has been distracted by his "neo-Soviet" image. Putin, Belkovsky claims, is ultimately a 'classic' businessman who believes money can solve any problem, and whose psychology was shaped by his experiences working in the St Petersburg mayor's office in Russia's crime-ridden early 1990s..."
See also:
- Putin $46bn asset claim embroils Kremlin
- Russia's Putin reins in security services
- All the Next President's Men
- Siloviki Clash in Storchak Affair
- Medvedev Is Doomed by Weak Links to FSB
- Medvedev is the One
- Keeping things in the siloviki family
- Russian siloviki is not menu item
Labels: corruption, leadership, political culture, Russia
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:06 AM
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