Vladimir Putin refuses to quit as Russian leader because he fears ending up in jail and would rather be ‘shacked up with hot babes and good wine’, glamorous reality TV star presidential rival claims
Many Russian experts believe Putin might prefer to rule like a latter-day tsar until he drops dead to avoid a hostile successor prosecuting for crimes committed during his 18 year rule.
VLADIMIR Putin is sick of being Russia’s ruler and would rather be holed up in a luxury pad with hot babes and good wine, according to his glamorous political opponent.
But Putin fears if he steps down he’ll be prosecuted and locked up, says a beautiful reality TV star who’s set to battle him in upcoming elections.
Ksenia Sobchak, a reality TV star dubbed Russia's Paris Hilton who is standing against Putin in a presidential election in March, made the claims as she bids to oust the strongman from power.
Many Russian experts believe Putin might prefer to rule like a latter-day tsar until he drops dead to avoid a hostile successor prosecuting any crimes committed during his 18 year rule.
But Ms Sobchak believes the Russian strongman is trapped and would rather retire to the Black Sea resort of Sochi and while away his days in luxury.
"I'm quite sure that he's tired of it all,"Ms Sobchak told the.
"He would love to go off to Sochi to stay with beautiful women and drink good wine.
“There was this girl who asked him at a press conference, 'What is the future of Russia?' and he was like" — she gave a deep sigh in an imitation of being bored to death — "Aaah ... the future of Russia is blah blah blah."
But Ms Sobchak said: "He cannot leave power now, it's a vicious circle, because we don't have independent courts.
"So if ever anyone wanted to put him in prison they could do it just like that."
Clinging onto power will be easy for Putin because he remains extremely popular at home.
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Ms Sobchak is seen by many as an alternative option to those that have had enough of Putin.
The reality TV star, who has been described by Vogue magazine as the Russian version of socialite Paris and is the daughter of Putin’s former mentor, said she had decided to run because she was tired of the same politicians, including Putin, running year after year.
The 35-year-old said she had the right to run for Russia’s top political job under the country’s constitution, which stipulates that all candidates must be 35 or older.
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