Inside Russia's Power Struggle No One's Talking About (with Konstantin Samoilov) - The Global Gambit - Pyotr Kurzin

Russia is heading into a far more unstable phase than many in the West expect. Konstantin Samoilov of Inside Russia breaks down the growing internal strains inside the Kremlin, the rising influence of the KGB’s institutional successors, and the economic pressures that are likely to intensify as Russia moves toward 2026.

We explore why inflation, budget deficits, and war-related spending are eroding the system’s resilience, how returning veterans from Ukraine could increase domestic tension, and why public discontent is growing even if it hasn’t yet translated into mass protests. Crucially, the discussion looks at how Vladimir Putin’s perception of “victory” has shifted over the past 18 months—and what that means for Russia’s future relationship with Europe.

This is not about imminent collapse, but about slow-burning instability: elite power struggles, economic fatigue, and a society increasingly aware that the trajectory is narrowing.