Mark Galeotti: Putin’s new National Guard
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (2ndL), Russian Army chief of staff Valery Gerasimov (L), head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov (3rdR), Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (2ndR).
The idea of creating a National Guard (NG) for Russia bringing together public security forces under a single command has been raised periodically and always abandoned for very good reasons, not least the lack of any apparent need to have a Praetorian Guard on steroids.
