PUTIN will breeze to victory in the sham 2024 presidential elections "even if he's in a coma" as he faces only the most obedient dummy Kremlin rivals, an expert has said.
The 71-year-old has been ruling Russia since 2000 – barring a term as prime minister under his lackey Dmitry Medvedev – and is expected to extend his reign until at least 2030 by standing for re-election next year.
Putin's advisers are said to be currently preparing for his presidential campaign in the lead up to the March 2024 election.
Although the tyrant is yet to officially announce his bid, experts say he's almost guaranteed to win with the support of the state, official media and almost no mainstream public dissent.
It's thought his re-election will be heavily backed by the Kremlin, who believe Putin must continue to steer Russia through the country's most turbulent period in decades.
But the former KGB goon is unlikely to face any real pressure from his rivals.
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Under new rules, the Kremlin wants no-one under the age of 50 to run and will reportedly "hand-pick" candidates themselves.
Gennadiy Zyuganov, 79, from the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky, 55, from the Liberal Democratic Party and Alexei Nechaev, 57, of the New People party are reported to be preferable choices.
Kyiv-based political strategist Jason Jay Smart told The Sun that the trio of "Kremlin loyalists" will let Putin breeze to victory in the "farce" elections.
He said the candidates will "not actually pose a threat to Putin".
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"Historically, presidential candidates against Putin usually just say they agree with him, in almost every position," said Smart.
“They never offer something alternative. Their objective is not to win the election, but to demonstrate a show of democracy.
"Zyuganov has run every presidential election since the 90s. He is a Kremlin loyalist – as are the other two.
“I doubt they’ll do any sort of public events really – maybe some nominal ones to show that there was a campaign, per se."
In the 2008 presidential election, Zyuganov received a respectable 17 per cent of the vote – before seeing that figure rise to 18 per cent in 2012.
But even if there was a chance of someone else winning the election, the Kremlin wouldn't allow it, Smart said.
And if something catastrophic happened to Vlad that left him unable to run, the Kremlin would likely fix the vote so he would continue to rule.
"Even if he was totally comatosed, those around him could still be running the country in a way that would be favourable to their own interests – and also to his," said Smart.
"The chances of someone beating him in an election is less than zero.
"As someone who has spent their life studying Russia as a criminologist, I will tell you that I have never heard someone say that they expect anyone to beat Putin in a democratic election."
Even the Kremlin's own spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no one would be able to compete with Putin if he decides to run.
And Smart believes that statement perfectly sums up how Putin and the Kremlin have turned the country's elections into complete shams.
“The elections are a farce," he said.
"To expect an outcome other than Putin winning is naive at best.
“The Kremlin have changed the constitution a number of times to make it easier for Putin, and that includes changing the term on it."
It's well known that Putin is terrified of being killed while in office – especially after surviving a number of assassination attempts already.
And Smart said another factor influencing votes to ensure the tyrant remains in power is because it lowers the chances of his worst fears coming true.
“In general, if you’ve run the country for a tumultuous period of time, then the chances that you’ll be killed, or betrayed, in your ex-presidency is very high," he said.
“But to prevent betrayal is to remain in charge – if you’re in charge, no one can betray you."
In September, Putin said he would make an announcement about his plans only after the election is called – expected to be no earlier than December 2023.
The Russian leader's rivals have yet to be formally announced – but a father and son duo from one of Russia's most powerful and influential families are tipped as heirs to his tyrannical dynasty.
West-hating former spymaster Nikolai Patrushev and his mega-rich son Dmitry have been named as potential successors after being proclaimed the "new nobility".
Nikolai Patrushev, 72, is a Secretary of Russia's Security Council and close pal of the warmonger.
Putin's and Patrushev's careers have long intertwined ever since both served for the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the nineties.
When Putin took over reigns of Russia, Patrushev was appointed the director of the FSB, the role which he fulfilled for eight long years.
Putin's close ally has been long hailed Russia's future president with some sources claiming he's preparing to take over the country when Putin's gone.
Patrushev has striking similarities with Putin, with both being ex-KGB agents and holding strong animosity towards the West.
It comes after experts warned Putin could use his re-election and cementing of his iron fist power in March to ramp up the war in Ukraine – or even invade other countries.
Dr Stephen Hall, an expert on Russia at the Henry Jackson Society, said the Russian leader staying in power would spark "an escalation in the aggression against Ukraine and the West".
"For Putin, this is existential," he said.
"He won’t settle for a frozen conflict, there is going to be Russian antipathy towards Ukraine as long as Putin remains in power."
Russian and Eurasian security expert Emily Ferris added: "Putin can’t leave the war undone because that would become his legacy.
"He is concerned with how he is going to be remembered."
Russia's first round of voting takes place on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
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Although the chances are minute, a second round of voting will then take place exactly three weeks later on April 7, 2024, if no candidate receives more than half the vote.
The winner of the election is scheduled to be inaugurated on May 7, 2024.
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