Putin, 72, says the succession is always on his mind

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, the longest serving Kremlin main since Josef Stalin, said successful remarks aired connected Sunday that helium was ever reasoning astir the succession, and suggested that determination could beryllium an contention betwixt respective candidates.

Putin, a erstwhile KGB lieutenant colonel who was handed the presidency connected the past time of 1999 Boris Yeltsin, served arsenic president from 1999 to 2008, past arsenic premier curate until 2012, and past again arsenic president from 2012 to the present.

"I ever deliberation astir it," Putin, 72, said erstwhile asked if helium thought astir the succession successful a movie by authorities tv astir Putin's 4th of a period arsenic Russia's paramount person entitled "Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 years".

"Ultimately, the prime is for the people, for the Russian people," Putin said. "I deliberation that determination should beryllium a person, oregon alternatively respective people, truthful that the radical person a choice."

There is nary wide successor to Putin though nether the Russian constitution, if the president was incapable to fulfill his duties, past the premier curate - presently Mikhail Mishustin - would presume statesmanlike powers.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)