Putin’s Promise to Make Veterans New Political Elite Not Working Now But Predicted to Cause Serious Problems Later, ‘Vyorstka’ Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 11 – Vladimir Putin has repeatedly suggested that veterans of his military campaign in Ukraine will form the nucleus of a new political elite. But that isn’t happening – only about a dozen have been given political jobs and most are decorative and designed to help boost recruitment numbers for the army, observers tell the Vyorstka new agency.

            But these same experts suggest that Putin may be creating a real problem for himself when the war is over and veterans return en masse. Many will expect better positions than the regime is prepared to offer them, and that will become a cause of unhappiness and anger (verstka.media/kak-uchastnikam-voyni-v-ukraine-ne-udaetsia-ustroitsia-vo-vlasti).

            Then the Kremlin will either have to live up to its promises, something that seems improbable given how few veterans have been advanced into serious political positions so far -- or be compelled to deal with an angry group of people who could become the nucleus of a new political movement against the country’s current leadership.