Putin reappoints Surkov as presidential adviser

Russian President Putin signed an order on June 13
reappointing Vladislav Surkov as an adviser, the presidential website reported
the same day. Since 2016, Surkov has served as Putin’s adviser on the Donbas
war, participating in Normandy Format talks and representing Russia at various
meetings involving Ukraine. He was appointed in 2013 to handle Abkahzia and
South Ossetia, two separatist regions in Georgia. The president’s website
didn’t indicate whether Surkov would remain involved in the Ukrainian conflict.

Zenon Zawada: It’s
unclear whether Surkov will continue to be Putin’s pointman on Donbas. If he
remains so, we can expect a continuation of the current policy of aggression
and destabilization. We can certainly expect him to try to affect the outcome
of the 2019 elections in Ukraine, and take advantage of any conflicts
surrounding the vote.