This week on the podcast:
— In a televised statement to Russia’s parliament, Vladimir Putin backed a constitutional shake-up that could see him remain president for another two full terms.
The plans would mean Russia’s cap of two six-year presidential terms for presidents would be reset when a batch of high-profile constitutional amendments come into force later this year, thereby allowing Putin to run for office again in 2024 and 2030 — should he wish to of course. To dig into the developments and look at what happens now, Professor Sam Greene, head of the Russia Institute at King's College London, joins us on the line.
— Last week, Russia rejected a proposal from Saudi Arabia to cut oil production in response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus, kicking off an “oil price war” and sending global energy prices tumbling. In the studio to weigh up those claims and assess the real damage is Natasha Doff, economy and government editor at Bloomberg News here in Moscow.
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