Kathrine Frich
The inner circle remains divided on how to proceed.
High-stakes political campaigns are often micro-managed from the shadows to ensure total compliance.
When the gears of state power begin to grind against unexpected obstacles, the cracks in the facade start to show.
Maintaining the course
Russian authorities are officially maintaining that the upcoming parliamentary elections will take place exactly as planned.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov firmly told reporters that postponing the September date is not on the table.
Peskov stressed that preparations for the elections were underway, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
The entire political procedure was originally launched directly by the president’s decision.
The Kremlin wants to project an image of absolute stability to the outside world. But behind closed doors, a very different conversation is reportedly taking place.
Panic behind closed doors
Unofficial leaks from inside the administration tell a story of mounting panic. According to the independent news website Meduza, pressure from the domestic intelligence services is growing rapidly.
Two sources close to the presidential administration claim that the FSB leadership and Rosgvardiya chief Viktor Zolotov are trying to change the leader’s mind. They are actively persuading Vladimir Putin to postpone the vote scheduled for September 2026.
The situation may be even more drastic than a simple delay. “Talks about a postponement, and realistically about a cancellation in the near future, appeared in the spring of 2026,” one inside informant reported to Meduza.
Falling party ratings
The security officials pushing for this change argue that delaying the electoral process would be highly beneficial for the regime. They point to a worsening economic situation and declining support for the United Russia party.
However, the inner circle remains divided on how to proceed. One source emphasized that no official procedure is currently in the works to legally halt the ballot boxes.
“There are no documents on the president’s desk and perhaps they will never appear there,” the source quoted in the reports stated, according to Meduza.
For now, the discussions remain at a very early stage as the Kremlin tests various political survival scenarios to protect their hold on power.
Sources: Meduza, TASS, O2
