ASSESSMENT OF CANIDATES TO HEAD THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06877050
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2022
• Case Number: F-2020-00968
• Publication Date: May 4, 2000

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Classified By: UNSPECIFIED
Classification Reason: UNSPECIFIED
Declassify On: X1
-11-SitneelleGTh1F4 SUBJ: ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATES TO
HEAD THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
Identifiers:
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 04-May-2000 17:39:00
Date Received: 04-May-2000 22:39:51
Coverage:
CIA Country Code: RUS
Region: EURASIA, RUSSIA
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Contact For:
WELCOME.
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS
WarningsTITSItHeStfe64149� CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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--TIST/FIrStteeif4F-}-1. AS OF MID- (b)(1)
APRIL 2000 PRESIDENT-ELECT VLADIMIR ((PUTIN)) HAS NOT YET DECIDED WHO WILL (b)(3)
ULTIMATELY HEAD THE NEW PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION (PA). ALTHOUGH PA
DEPUTY HEAD DIMITRIY ((MEDVEDEV)) APPEARS TO BE GAINING IN POPULARITY WITH
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PUTIN, PA DEPUTY HEAD VLADISLAV ((SURKOV)) IS ALSO A SERIOUS CANDIDATE. TWO
OTHER POTENTIAL CHOICES ARE FIRST DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL
SECURITY SERVICE (FSB) VIKTOR ((CHERKESOV)) AND MEDIA MINISTER MIKHAIL
((LESIN)).
(TS//HCS//0C/NF) 2 PUTIN MIGHT CHOOSE SURKOV
OVER MEDVEDEV BECAUSE SURKOV GAINED MUCH CLOUT VIA HIS CRITICAL ROLE IN
ORCHESTRATING THE SUCCESSFUL DECEMBER 1999 UNITY ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
SURKOV IS VERY CONFIDENT DUE TO HIS BACKING FROM THE POWERFUL PETR
((AVEN)) AND THE ALFA GROUP. SURKOV HAS DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM FIRST
DEPUTY HEAD OF THE PA IGOR ((SHABDURASULOV)) AND RESISTED TAKING MORE
MONEY FROM UNPOPULAR OLIGARCH BORIS ((BEREZOVSKIY)). IN THE MEANTIME,
SURKOV HAS CULTIVATED A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH SBS-AGRO DIRECTOR
ALEKSANDR ((SMOLENSKIY)). SURKOV SEEMS VERY FLEXIBLE IN NEGOTIATING THIS
NETWORK OF POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
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(TS//HCS//0C/NF) 3. CHERKESOV AND LESIN ARE SECONDARY (b)(1)
CHOICES TO HEAD THE PA BECAUSE THEY LACK CONNECTIONS TO THE OLIGARCHS. (b)(3)
LESIN HAS RECENTLY TRIED TO INGRATIATE HIMSELF WITH THE ST. PETERSBURG
GROUP OF PUTIN CONFIDANTES, BUT CHERKESOV HAS ADDITIONAL INFLUENCE WITH
PUTIN DUE TO THEIR MUTUAL INTELLIGENCE AFFILIATION.
(TS//HCS//0C/NF) 4. CURRENT PA HEAD ALEKSANDR ((VOLOSHIN)) WILL STAY IN HIS
POSITION FOR AT LEAST A LITTLE LONGER, \/OLOSHIN (b)(1)
AND HIS MENTOR, BEREZOVSKIY, WILL STRONGLY RESIST HIS LEAVING THE PA (b)(3)
LEADERSHIP UNTIL HE IS PROMISED ANOTHER KEY JOB. SPECIFICALLY, VOLOSHIN
WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE PA TO REPLACE ANATOLIY ((CHUBAYS)) AS HEAD OF
RAO-UES OR REM ((VYAKHIREV)) AS CHIEF OF GAZPROM. IF VOLOSHIN STAYS ON AS PA
HEAD INTO THE SUMMER, HE WOULD FORCE OUT HIS CURRENT NEMESIS,
PRESIDENTIAL STAFF DEPUTY CHIEF DZHAKHAN ((POLLYYEVA)). ANOTHER
BEREZOVSKIY LOYALIST AND PUTIN ELECTION CAMPAIGN STAFFER, KSENIYA
((PONOMAREVA)), HAS ALSO MANAGED TO REMAIN INFLUENTIAL IN THE CURRENT
PUTIN GOVERNMENT AND HOPES TO STAY ON.
(TS//HCS//0C/NF) 5 KREMLIN SPOKESMAN SERGEY (b)(1)
((YASTRZHEMBSKIY)) HAS LOST INFLUENCE DUE TO HIS BLATANT ATTEMPT TO TAKE (b)(3)
OVER THE MEDIA MINISTRY. YASTRZHEMBSKIY MAY LOSE HIS JOB AFTER THE
INAUGURATION BECAUSE OF HIS LACK OF SUCCESS IN COORDINATING COVERAGE OF
THE CHECHNYA CONFLICT WITH THE MILITARY.
Collection: HT
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Contact For:
WELCOME.
COMMENTS, EVALUATIONS, AND REQUIREMENTS (b)(3)
Description: (U) NONE.
Distribution List.
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Language: en
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