Putin to appoint behind-the-scenes guru to manage Ukraine affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin will appoint former Deputy Administration Chair Vladyslav Surkov as a helper, whose responsibilities will include managing Russian-Ukrainian relations, reported the m.gazeta.ru news site on September 13, citing anonymous sources. Putin could sign the decree this week. The report was confirmed today by the Kommersant-Ukraine newspaper.

Having served as a key advisor in the Russian Presidential Administration for more than a decade, Surkov is widely recognized as a leading behind the scenes player in the Kremlin and “a master of political intrigues and public relations,” Ukrayinska Pravda reported. He is credited with manipulating parliamentary elections in the Kremlin’s favor and advancing legislation in parliament in the Kremlin’s interests, the news site reported. He also led the development of the pro-Kremlin “Nashi” youth organization in 2005.

Zenon Zawada: It’s no surprise the Kremlin is intensifying its propaganda campaign against the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. What remains to be seen is whether the Russian government can effectively manipulate political opinion in Ukraine, which it has yet to do successfully. Moreover, such Kremlin officials will be battling against Russian political technology veterans who are currently working on behalf of the Presidential Administration, such as Igor Shuvalov. We don’t see any evidence that the Kremlin can outmaneuver the Presidential Administration on its home turf.