Xi Jinping receives the Russian Prime Minister in Beijing. He could soon challenge the Kremlin chief Putin for his post.
Moscow – Actually, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stands in the shadow of President Vladimir Putin and pulls the strings in the background. Thus, he is considered a perfect official who behaves loyally to the Kremlin and, moreover, works efficiently. Also, according to the news portal t-online, he should not have any personal power interests. However, that could change now. Recently, the Russian Prime Minister visited China.
Mikhail Mishustin holds formal legal power in Russia with his office. In March, Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a guest in Moscow and met not only with Putin, but also with his prime minister. Such an appointment is usually not provided for according to the strict Chinese protocol. At the end of May, Mishustin traveled to China again as the highest Russian official since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (m) together with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (l) at a cabinet meeting in 2020. © Dmitry Astakhov/dpa
Potential successor to Putin: Mikhail Mishustin will be received in China
Here the Chinese President received him in the "Great Hall of the People" in Beijing. This privilege, too, is normally reserved only for state guests of the same rank and is not provided for in the Chinese protocol. According to t-online, Putin is frightened by the mere fact that the Russian prime minister and not he was invited to China. For the war against Ukraine, the government in Moscow is urgently dependent on resources from the neighboring country.
According to the Russian constitution, if Putin were to die, the prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, would be in charge of state affairs as a transitionist. But he is not the only one who is currently being traded as a potential successor. Bild writes that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is also interested in the Russian presidential post. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who wants to build his own private army, is also seen as a possible Putin heir. (Jakob von Sass)