The surprise shake-up of Russia's government is all about 2024, according to a leading expert in Russian politics.
Speaking to Euronews' Good Morning Europe, Ben Noble, a Professor in Russian politics at University College London, said the shock move needs to be viewed in the context of Putin's grip on the government.
“Yes it’s a shock to us, but we need to put it into perspective. It is so shocking because most of the time things are stable in Russia precisely by Putin’s design. He’s shown that he is in control when the narrative changes and he is going to be in control of when information is made clear about what he is going to do in 2024," he said.
Power grab
Analysts agree that President Putin is looking to the long-term and the world can expect him to remain on the political scene for many years to come.
“Putin has made it very clear in the past that he wants to keep options open. If anyone was to say to you that they know what’s going to happen though, they’d be lying,” Mr Noble said.
