Yulia Navalnaya’s Forum of Russian experts has provided a model for transitioning to a Democratic government after a Tyrant - Putin - dies. There are some very good ideas for how the United States of America can manage the transition after our tyrant - Trump - dies.
Here are the Forum's recommendations:
'What happens in the first weeks after Putin — and why could those weeks decide everything?
This question was discussed by experts at Yulia Navalnaya’s Forum in the working group “Security, Justice, and Interaction with the Former Regime.” Their conclusions are not a ready-made action plan — but they help us prepare for a possible transition period.
The first weeks after Putin will be decisive.
We must be prepared — and we are.
The window of opportunity will be very short.
Whoever becomes acting president after Putin will almost certainly seek domestic support and international legitimacy, attempt to halt active hostilities, and push for sanctions relief. This may create space for limited liberalization — and it must not be wasted.
But experts expect the former regime to retain control over the core resources of power: money, the security apparatus, the courts, the state bureaucracy, and the media. It will not give up that power voluntarily.
The main risks during a transition
The experts list concrete threats:
an attempt to preserve control over politics and finances while presenting “change” as purely symbolic;
pressure on the opposition — physical, legal, and reputational;
“co-optation” as a trap: bribery and the absorbtion opponents into old schemes under the “renewal” label;
separate deals with international actors designed to exclude the opposition from negotiations;
tight control over media and platforms, including internet and communications shutdowns;
bureaucratic sabotage and the destruction or concealment of archives.
Why the security services pose the greatest risk
Russia’s security sector holds a monopoly on force: weapons, combat experience, and a long record of suppressing protests. Any transition scenario will depend on whether democratic forces can act strategically in the first critical weeks.
Experts also highlight a key constitutional deadline: presidential elections must be held within three months. It is crucial to ensure that genuine opposition candidates are allowed to participate. That moment will reveal whether the system is truly changing — or whether autocracy is simply being “repackaged” with a new face.
We know what needs to happen after Putin.
What to do: the experts’ recommendations
1) Don’t fall for the former regime’s traps
negotiations should take place only through authorized intermediaries with a clear and strict mandate;
assume bad faith by default;
offers to “share power” or “join a transitional government” within old structures should be treated as attempts to neutralize and discredit the opposition.
2) Tie sanctions relief to concrete transition conditions
Experts call this as the only real leverage: partial sanctions relief should be considered only if specific transition requirements are met — not through “convenient compromises” that hollow out the meaning of the transition.
3) Protect society, the opposition, and evidence of crimes
rebuild civil society infrastructure and public oversight mechanisms;
operate transparently and lawfully — “in the open;
prevent the destruction, falsification, or concealment of archives, and establish accountability for such actions;
support internal witnesses and informants.
4) Justice during a transition
demand maximum transparency: open trials and public broadcasts of court hearings;
document individual responsibility for unlawful rulings, including through tools such as the ACF’s “Black Book”.
5) Security and the street
support nonviolent protest if former elites break their commitments;
push for a moratorium on prosecutions for exercising the right to peaceful assembly;
invest now in technical solutions to counter communications shutdowns;
build a professional security and civil protection service for democratic forces to protect rallies, offices, and activists.
Thank you for your support,
Navalny’s team'
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