Vladimir Putin could give his daughter a top job at the Kremlin as he battles ill-health amid reports of unrest at his leadership among Russia's elite. It has been claimed that the Russian President wants to make Katerina Tikhonova, 35, the new leader of ruling political party United Russia.
Tikhonova recently underwent expensive beauty treatments in Munich and is Putin’s second daughter by former first lady Lyudmila, his ex-wife, the Mirror reports. And it's claimed the candidacy is supported by those closest to Putin.
The claim was made on Telegram channel General SVR, which says it has alleged intelligence sources within Putin’s entourage. The same channel has claimed Putin is suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and a schizoaffective disorder.
The controversial channel, which claims to be authored by an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general insider who is known by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich. said: “Putin's inner circle again started talking about the need for a consensus figure for the elites in the leadership of United Russia, which would unite and guarantee the current status quo and the continuity of power.
“The candidacy of the daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin Katerina Tikhonova for the post of head of the United Russia party is again being actively discussed. And I must say that recently, without exception, all interested persons in Putin's entourage support this idea.”
it is understood when the idea was raised at the end of last year - before Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February - there was not "unequivocal approval" for the proposal.
The channel claimed: “Now the situation has changed and the war, which has been going on for three months, has created the prerequisites and the demand of the elites for a clear understanding of their future without Putin."
The post continued: "Today, Putin is the only guarantor of the stability of the system, and this, in the conditions of war and circulating information about the serious illnesses of the president, begins to cause maximum anxiety among the elites.
“In the understanding of a narrow circle of people who have access to the presidential ear, Katerina Tikhonova is the only person who can act as a guarantor of the stability of the existence of the Putin regime, without being a direct successor.
“Being at the helm of the party in power and actually managing the State Duma and the Federation Council [the two houses of parliament], Tikhonova will balance any successor to the presidency."
It also reported that Putin approves of Dmitry Patrushev, 44, the agriculture minister and son of Nikolai Patrushev, 70, secretary of the Russian security council, as President with Tikhonova acting as 'puppet master'
“In general, Putin approves of such a position of succession as Dmitry Patrushev as the president, and Katerina Tikhonova as the mistress of the power system," the channel claimed.
“How close this option will be to implementation, we will soon see. The President will not be able to delay such decisions.”
It has been reported that Russia's elite are actively discussing Putin's successor with names being talked about. It is understood there is dissatisfaction with the war and the sanctions imposed on the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
