The scenario did not come true: why Putin has not yet announced his participation in the elections

Putin has not announced his intention to run for president due to a significant setback at the front / Collage 24 Channel / Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin has noticeably stepped up his public activities to present himself as a “patriotic” candidate ahead of the election campaign. However, the head of the Kremlin has not yet announced his intention to run for office, and is unlikely to do so in the coming weeks.

Since Russia experienced high-profile military failures at the front and was unable to capture a Ukrainian city that was important for the occupiers. Russian oppositionist, political strategist, gallery owner Marat Gelman shared this assumption with Channel 24 .

Why Putin has not yet put forward his candidacy for elections

“Why was it necessary to kill so many for the sake of capturing Avdeevka? The answer to this question is the answer to the question “why Putin did not put forward his candidacy on November 4 during the “celebrations” (Russian National Unity Day – Channel 24). As I understand it, he had to advance against the backdrop of the “capture of Avdiivka” – it was such a plan, such a scenario that did not come true,” explained the Russian oppositionist.

Therefore, now in Russia there are clashes between the organizers of the election campaign and the military command responsible for successes at the front. Moreover, if the Russians fight according to the election schedule, they will not succeed on the battlefield.

Will Putin talk about the war in Ukraine during the elections?

According to Gelman, representatives of the military and political headquarters are currently advising Putin. The first say that we should focus on the war and gradually mobilize. Others say that we need to win the elections and postpone the mobilization. Therefore, it is not yet known which headquarters in Russia is more important – the one at war or the one dealing with elections.

Gelman on the Russian presidential elections in 2024: watch the video

“I believe that there is no chance that the General Staff will win. In Russia it has always been the case that the internal agenda is more important than the external one. That is, all anti-Americanism, its main “ears” and “addressees” are inside,” the political strategist emphasized.

Therefore, Vladimir Putin will likely avoid focusing his 2024 presidential campaign on the war in Ukraine and will rather focus on Russia's “stability” and criticism of the West.

Putin needs to secure a mandate from the population. Moreover, he is waging a war in which he kills people and, in particular, citizens of his country. Therefore, he simply needs confirmation of his mandate,” said Marat Gelman.

Presidential elections in Russia: what is known

• Recently, Putin signed changes to the law on presidential elections in Russia, which, in particular, clarify the procedure for voting during martial law.
• According to the document, elections in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine can be held after consultations with the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Defense and the FSB of the aggressor country.
• In addition, photography and video filming at polling stations in military units is prohibited. This can only be done by representatives of accredited media in agreement with the unit commander.
• Earlier, Kremlin Speaker Dmitry Peskov said that Putin would be re-elected in the presidential elections in 2024 with a result of over 90% of the vote.