An inside look at Putin's circle of power

Vladimir Putin remains a solitary figure as Russia's extensive invasion of Ukraine continues. However, his stance is reinforced by a deeply loyal entourage that has remained consistent over the years.

Putin's confidant and the former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, became Vice President of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on January 16, 2020.

Medvedev has also been President of United Russia (Putin's party, with a parliamentary majority) since May 26, 2012. He is considered to be the second most important personality of the State institutionally.

Sergey Lavrov has held the role of Russian Foreign Minister since 2004. He is a staunch supporter of Vladimir Putin and his voice in international forums.

For more than 20 years, Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu have been walking hand in hand. They even spend the summers together in Siberia and bond over their love of nature. The Defense Minister of the Russian Federation has even been considered as a possible successor to the current president for the 2024 elections.

Their relationship goes beyond politics, and they are true friends. Putin and Shoigu often relax by hunting and fishing.

Russia's ability to produce gas and oil is one of the keys to its great world power. Igor Sechin, the director of the country's leading oil company, Rosneft, is an important person in your inner circle in Russia. He is not a politician, but he is considered faithful to Putin and part of the president's wide circle of power.

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, is a crucial supporter of the Russian president. Both share a very conservative vision of the world regarding customs. A firm detractor of the LGTBIQ+ movement, he defends the integration of Ukraine into Russia.

In the photo: Kirill, Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin, 1999

Patriarch Kirill was awarded the Order of Saint Andrew by the Russian government "for his outstanding contribution to preserving and developing spiritual and cultural traditions and strengthening peace and harmony among the people."

The President of Russia highly appreciates the work of Mikhail Kovalchuk, a scientist and president of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute." This is a researcher whose work contributes to the creation of innovative technologies in the Russian Federation.

Roman Putin is the son of Igor Putin, a cousin of the Russian president. He engages in various business and socio-political activities.

The permanent president of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is not only a geostrategically related colleague and political supporter but can also be considered a close friend of Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin and Alexandr Lukashenko not only deal with international affairs but also share leisure time. In the photo: the presidents of Russia and Belarus resting at a ski resort in Sochi, 2019.

German Gref has been the Executive Director of Sberbank (the largest bank in Russia) since 2007. He is the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Russia, Chairman of the Council of the Center for Strategic Research, a member of the Board of Directors of Yandex.

Alexei Miller is the Chairman of the Management Committee and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC Gazprom, the great Russian gas giant, the fundamental economic engine of the nation. This is a man who holds the reins of the largest energy provider on the planet.

Mikhalkov. Film directors Nikita Mijalkov ('Dark Eyes,' 'Burnt by the Sun') and Andréi Konchalovsky ('Siberiade') are both the sons of the author of the anthem of the Soviet Union, Sergei. Their political views, expressed in some of his works, are in line with those of Putin; they all wish to recover the imperial greatness of Russia in the world.

President Vladimir Putin and these two millionaires, who are some of the wealthiest people in Russia, share a love of hockey. In some Western media, they are included in the so-called "Putin millionaires club."

Putin knew Roman Abramovich well when the now billionaire was governor of Chukotka. Both were engaged in politics, but then Abramovich preferred getting rich (and buying Chelsea). He has Israeli and Portuguese origins. He maintains a good relationship with Putin, although, amid the din of war, Abramovich remains silent.

The President-elect and the current president of Russia connected immediately. On Twitter, Trump wrote after a brief meeting with Vladimir Putin: "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools, would think that it is bad!"

Trump continued, "We have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now, and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" Even in the current moment of crisis, Trump seems to mostly be supportive of Putin's actions.

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