Constitution will be respected: Russian elites would consider it too dangerous to violate and until now have always followed the letter of law (see the annexati

Constitution will be respected: Russian elites would consider it too dangerous to violate and until now have always followed the letter of law (see the annexation of Crimea). The change of it is possible but only to a stricter rule of two terms (Putin hinted at this possibility recently). The successor will be loyal not to Putin personally, but to their mutual agreement, which will be fulfilled. He or she will not necessarily have the same views - there’s a precedent of such transition and it will likely be used in 2024. Moreover, it will be more convenient for everyone to put there a centrist or a technocrat with some political weight (former governor or member of parliament, like Dumin or Matvienko). Corruption won’t be a significant factor here, at least no more than it is in US primaries.