Putin's position shaken by Covid-19?

Russia's capital Moscow has been hit hard by Covid-19. According to the latest figures, there are now more than 114,493 infected people in Russia, of which more than 1,169 have died, and more than half of these are in Moscow.

Notably, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was the first high-ranking Russian official to test positive for the coronavirus. Faced with this situation, President Putin appointed a replacement and ordered the extension of social distancing until May 11 as the country has not yet passed the peak of the epidemic.

Thus, the number of infections in Russia has officially surpassed China - the world's Covid-19 epicenter in the early stages, ranking 9th in the world in terms of the number of infections.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that he was infected with Covid-19 and asked President Putin to find a temporary replacement. Photo: Ria Novosti

President Putin, like other world leaders, is facing an unpredictable crisis, and his position may be "shaken" in the context of the complicated developments of the epidemic, affecting public health and economic decline.

It is worth mentioning that if Covid-19 had not appeared, the Russian people would have been able to participate in the April 22 referendum on amending the Constitution to create conditions for President Putin to continue leading.

“Our competitive advantage is not oil or gas. It is Vladimir Putin,” said Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin. Observers say the pandemic has created an existential crisis for the Russian leader at a time when he needs public support to consolidate his power in the future.

Russia was initially quick to take measures, such as closing its borders, when the epidemic began to rage in neighboring China. However, Russia's domestic anti-epidemic measures were considered to be lagging behind other European countries. This caused public discontent, and Mr. Putin's hard-won legacy was also "threatened".

As Covid-19 began to spread across the country, President Putin used it to improve his position by making many statements emphasizing that everything was under control, or that Russia was better prepared to deal with the crisis than Europe and the US.

But as the outbreak began to spiral out of control, Putin stepped into the public eye and described the severity of the outbreak. The Russian leader said the next few weeks would be crucial to determining whether Russia could effectively flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus.

The number of Coid-19 cases in Russia began to increase sharply in April. Photo: AA

If necessary, the Russian military is “ready to be deployed.” The president pushed for stricter lockdown measures, ordering a nationwide paid holiday. However, these measures are starting to backfire.

Another equally important “blow” that Covid-19 dealt President Putin was when he had to postpone the traditional Victory Day parade on May 9, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

For the Kremlin, the victory anniversary is one of the most important events, helping to raise President Putin's domestic approval rating.

President Putin has spent the year planning to consolidate power, celebrate Russia's Victory Day, and usher in the next phase of his career, but instead he is caught up in a struggle with an invisible, and difficult-to-control, enemy.

Russian officials have predicted that the country's infection numbers could stabilize in May as most regions are under good quarantine.

The crisis is unfolding around the world, and President Putin and other world leaders are having to employ new strategies to cope and maintain their power.

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