The Preface:
Putin once again appeared in public. This time, the difference is that he put on a military uniform and faced a 100,000-strong army. What deserves more attention is: Next to him stood a man, not an ordinary companion, but his popular successor.
Rare picture, only three people appeared alone
The scale of the joint Russian-Belarus military exercises "West 2025" is enormous, with more than 100,000 people on the scene.Putin not only personally went, but also changed his entire set of armor, and personally examined the troops. Russian Defense Minister Belousov was naturally present, but really striking, was Alexei Zhimin, who was not dressed in military, but always stood by Putin’s side.
The official website of the Kremlin then released 17 official photos, and only three people appeared alone: Putin, belousov and Jiuming. Many heavyweights, including Zolotov, commander-in-chief of the National Guard, did not receive this treatment. Everyone in Russian political circles understands that this kind of camera arrangement is by no means arbitrary, and it is a kind of ill-words voice in itself.
More interestingly, from the standpoint of the scene, the position of Kimi is even ahead of the defense minister. Especially when Putin examines the troops and visits the weapons, he almost always follows Putin. Many times, who stands next to Putin is more important than who says what.
From guard to power.
As a young man, he was only Putin’s caretaker, and was soon recognized by Putin because of his outstanding performance. In 2013, after leaving the President’s Security Bureau, he entered directly into the General Intelligence Bureau, namely Gruev, as deputy director, and was promoted to command of the Special Operations Forces along the way.
It is widely believed that he played a key role in the situation in Crimea in 2014 and was also responsible for arranging the withdrawal of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych. Although he denies it himself, judging from the speed of subsequent promotion, this statement is not groundless.
In 2015, Jiuming, who was only 43 years old, became the first deputy commander of the army, and was promoted to deputy minister of defense soon after. At this age, Medvedev was the last one to rise to this position. At that time, some people speculated that Putin might be deliberately cultivating him.
However, Guo Ming’s goal was not a straight line upward path. In 2016, he was suddenly sent to the place to serve as governor of Tula State. The first was eight years. At the time the outside world was widely interpreted as “downward”, but from today, it is more like a deep practice. The Tula was not an economic city, but Guo Ming’s performance during his tenure was outstanding, and the poll has been high. In an all-Russian poll in 2022, his popularity ranks second, behind Moscow’s mayor Sobianin.
High-profile return, Putin's key arrangements
Last May, Putin relocated Kim Jong-un back to Moscow and directly appointed him as a president's assistant for the defense industry. Now Russia has ten president's assistants, but Kim Jong-un's positions are very heavy, because in the context of the continuing war, weapons production and production capabilities decide almost everything. Putin entrusted him this most core task, and the degree of trust can be seen.
Returning to Moscow for less than a month, Kimmin was given the position of Secretary of the State Council, which did not exist before, and was obviously created for him by Putin. Soon after, he entered the Russian Security Conference and became an executive commissioner. This is the most central circle in the Russian political system, and only Putin's most trusted people can enter.
In August last year, the Ukrainian army invaded Kursk, allegedly entrusting some of the tasks directly to Kim, not to the Ministry of Defense.This is an extremely rare operation in Russia, indicating that Putin has regarded Kim as the number one person in some key affairs. Since then, Kim’s exposure has risen dramatically. In the past year, he has grown from being almost a behind-the-scenes figure to being a core force aligned with the Minister of Defense and important generals.
Signals are becoming more obvious.
In Russia, there has always been a deep noise about "succession", but the transfer of power will never be silent. Putin is 72 years old this year, and the outside world is naturally concerned about the future. Although nobody dares to discuss it publicly, everyone is watching in secret.
Jiuming's frequent appearance, as well as his increasingly advanced position, no longer need verbal explanation. In this military exercise, Putin deliberately let him stand in the most conspicuous position, and even let him appear alone. This is the clearest political signal.
At present, Russia has ten assistant presidents, and only Kim can stand alongside defense ministers and members of the Federal Security Council.
In the past few months, Russian media frequently listed him as the "first echelon of successors". Considering his resume, age, Putin's trust in him, and today's exposure, Jiuming has almost become the most suitable candidate.
It is not just military exercise.
This joint military exercise attended by 100,000 people looks like a military activity, but it is essentially a public display of power. Putin's military uniform is a signal that "I still control everything" to the inside and outside. He made the world see, Russia's core power has long been arranged properly.