The Politics of Succession in the Kremlin

As Vladimir Putin’s rule enters its third decade, one question looms larger than ever: what happens after?

Dr. Donald N. Jensen will explore the shifting landscape of Kremlin power and possible subtle preparations for an eventual transfer of authority. Has the work on succession already begun behind closed doors? What models of transition are being considered - and by whom?

This discussion will examine competing factions within the Russian elite - siloviki, technocrats, and loyal courtiers - and their strategies for survival and influence in a post-Putin Russia. From institutional manipulation to informal alliances, Jensen will trace how the system is adapting to the inevitability of change while trying to preserve its own continuity.

Join us for a timely conversation about the mechanics, risks, and illusions of political succession in today’s Kremlin, and what they reveal about the future of Russian power.

At each of our events you can expect a warm atmosphere, an ability to network as well as complimentary hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

Dr. Donald N. Jensen is an expert on Russian politics, foreign policy, and security affairs. He teaches Russian Foreign Policy at Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and previously served as Director and Senior Advisor at the Center for Russia and Europe at the United States Institute of Peace.

A former U.S. diplomat, Jensen supported the START, INF, and SDI negotiations with the USSR and was a member of the first U.S. inspection team to verify Soviet missiles under the INF Treaty in 1988. He later served at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow during the 1991 August Coup, where his team received the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award.

From 1996 to 2008, he was Associate Director of Broadcasting and head of the Research Division at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, overseeing the organization’s post–Cold War broadcast expansion and modernization. A 2016 Visiting Scholar at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Jensen has written extensively on Russian and Ukrainian domestic and foreign policy, Kremlin negotiating behavior, and national security strategy.

He has lectured at Harvard, Oxford, and George Washington University and frequently appears as a commentator on international media. Jensen holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Government from Harvard and a B.A. from Columbia University. He is fluent in Russian and Italian.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Free Peoples of Russia House