Does Putin often resort to such methods? There has been speculation for years about a similar sex kompromat against Donald Trump that the Kremlin could have.
I think this is a conspiracy theory. If world politics were that simple, many things could be easily explained. Trump sometimes behaves as if there is a kompromat – but that is pure speculation. But kompromates are a typical Putin method. They have become natural to him.
Is that also the reason for his own isolated private life? Is Putin afraid of a kompromat against himself?
With power comes paranoia. And of course Putin fears plots – like every autocrat. Anyone who poisons or kills others must expect that the same thing will be done to them. This is the logic of fear. This goes so far that Putin even has his excrement collected and taken with him when he travels abroad so that no one can get his DNA. That sounds absurd, but it is proven. Just as Putin wants to maintain control over the contents of his toilet, he wants to control every information about his private life.
At the same time, Vladimir Putin constantly talks about the need to bear children and raves about the supposedly large traditional Russian family. He himself is officially divorced. He refers to his daughters from his marriage as “those women.” Illegal children appear again and again. He is said to have at least two sons with former gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Why doesn’t Putin present himself with his family? Just like US presidents traditionally do. Those would be perfect images for city television. A patriarch and his family. But Putin keeps it secret. Why?
Because he can. He can afford to keep everything secret. Putin is not under any control. There is no authority that can force him to be open. He decides for himself what the public is allowed to know – and what not. He sees no reason to be held accountable.
But the most important reason for secrecy is corruption. Because behind every person connected to Putin there are huge fortunes. Not a single relative, not a close friend, not an old acquaintance who came into the focus of our research turned out to be uninvolved. Property shares, real estate, company shares always appeared – assets that originally belonged to the state. It’s about billions and billions of rubles.
