The assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the notorious 2018 Salisbury poisonings serve as chilling reminders of the intricate web of deception that characterizes Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Central to these dark events is one of Russia’s most enigmatic and dangerous figures: Nikolai Patrushev. He now stands as a pivotal conduit between Whitehall and the Kremlin.
While the United States and Ukraine reached a proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Patrushev has quietly been maneuvering in the background. U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he would discuss this deal with Moscow soon, alongside the resumption of intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
At 73 years old, Patrushev, a former secretary of Russia’s Security Council who transitioned into a presidential aide, has long been recognized as Putin’s most hardline ally. He has cultivated a reputation for disseminating conspiracy theories, ranging from accusations of Western-engineered depopulation schemes to warnings of an “Anglo-Saxon takeover” of Ukraine. Patrushev has consistently portrayed Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration as a neo-Nazi regime, further fueling the Kremlin’s propaganda war against Ukraine.
Despite his extremist views, analysts regard Patrushev as capable and competent; his fierce loyalty to Putin is paramount. Mark Galeotti, a Russian expert and director of Mayak Intelligence consultancy, stated, “He would not be London’s first choice. But if Putin’s looking for someone to serve as the backchannel, then it’s a logical choice from his perspective. He is geopolitically savvy, enjoys Putin’s trust, and possesses the highest levels of clearance. His hardliner stance also suggests that the UK would find it difficult to deceive him.”
As he takes on the role of the Kremlin’s intermediary with London, analysts believe the appointment of a hardliner like Patrushev signals Moscow’s reluctance to engage in compromise with the UK regarding its ongoing war in Ukraine.
A Parallel Rise to Power
Patrushev’s rise to prominence mirrors that of Putin himself. Both men were born in St. Petersburg, just a year apart, and they ascended through the ranks of the KGB during the 1970s, eventually emerging as key players in the post-Soviet landscape. When Putin assumed power in 1999, he introduced Patrushev as his successor at the FSB, stating, “This is my good comrade. He will do everything necessary to strengthen the security services.”
As a pivotal figure in the siloviki—the inner circle of ex-KGB loyalists—Patrushev has long regarded Russia’s security agencies as a “new nobility,” the true ruling class of the Russian state. For the next twenty years, he remained at the heart of Russia’s national security framework, becoming Secretary of the Security Council and helping to shape the Kremlin’s increasingly aggressive posture toward the West.
Patrushev: ‘Ukraine Will Cease to Exist’
While some analysts argue that Moscow’s ambitions were limited to controlling the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, Patrushev’s worldview dismisses the very legitimacy of Ukraine as a sovereign state. He views it as an artificial construct that must be fully integrated into Russia’s sphere of influence. “It can’t be ruled out that Ukraine will cease to exist at all in the coming year,” Patrushev stated during an interview with the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda.
His ambitions extend beyond Ukraine, as he has also intimated that Moldova and parts of Estonia rightfully belong to Russia. “Patrushev sees the Ukraine conflict as a broader struggle against NATO and the West,” remarked Sean Roberts, a Russian expert and senior lecturer in Politics and International Relations. As the Security Council chief, he played a crucial role in shaping Putin’s paranoid worldview, convincing him that Ukraine was merely a Western pawn aimed at undermining Russia. Galeotti noted, “He had a significant influence in shaping Putin’s belief that Ukraine was a weapon against Russia, a narrative he pushed relentlessly.”
As the war stretches into its third year, questions arise regarding the Kremlin’s intelligence failures. The swift “blitzkrieg” envisioned by Moscow has devolved into a protracted and costly conflict, raising doubts about whether Patrushev, like many in Putin’s circle, miscalculated the strength of Ukraine’s resistance.
A New Role as Putin’s Adviser
After being removed from his position at the head of the Security Council in 2024—a move widely interpreted as a demotion—Patrushev assumed a new advisory role that grants him a unique advantage: the freedom to advocate for even more extreme narratives without the constraints of the official Kremlin line. Analysts believe this serves a strategic purpose, allowing Putin to present a moderate front while ensuring that Russia’s most radical voices remain in play.
According to Roberts, “The Kremlin needs figures like Patrushev. It allows them to appeal to the ultra-nationalist segments of Russian society while also using him to gauge reactions from the West.” Patrushev’s recent assertion that negotiations regarding Ukraine should occur solely between Moscow and Washington—excluding European allies—suggests that Russia is testing the waters for unofficial Kremlin policy. This stance soon became Russia’s official position and was later echoed by President Trump.
For London, which aims to act as a bridge between Ukraine and the U.S., the appointment of a hardliner like Patrushev reveals Moscow’s disinterest in fostering relations with the UK. Instead, it appears focused on strengthening its ties with Washington. “Patrushev’s role tells us a great deal about Russia’s true intentions,” stated Alexander Lord, a defense analyst at Sybilline. “It’s clear that the Kremlin has no interest in compromise with Ukraine.”
