Bloomberg Surveillance · Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Rose Gottemoeller speculates on Russia's future leadership after Putin, expressing concern about a continuation of security service dominance, potentially leading to a 'mafia-style' leadership. However, she holds out hope for the emergence of more skilled, technocratic leaders with a focus on Russia's economic health, rather than KGB-style rule.
“Well, it could be more of the same. Unfortunately, he has created a system in Russia that is very much based on the security services, and they have brought on a younger generation, so it could be a younger Putin clone. We'll have to see.”
“My hope is that they have quite a few skilled, more technocratic leaders, people who really know, for example, the international economy and banking system, people who care about the economy of Russia being healthy going forward.”
“So perhaps it could be one of those more technocratic types, less security service, less KGB type and that I think will be a good perhaps outcome in general, but I worry that what we are seeing is the continuation of a system of security was KGB rule in in Russia, which ends up being a kind of mafia style leadership, and I fear that for the nature of Russia.”