war. And people are tired of the war.’ Why Russia’s ruling party left Dmitry Medvedev, its own chairman, off this September’s election list. — Meduza

Key Points:

• Dmitry Medvedev, United Russia’s chairman and former president, was excluded from the party’s top candidate list for the September elections despite his lobbying efforts and initial reports suggesting he would lead the ticket.
• The final list, shaped by President Vladimir Putin, is topped by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, followed by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, with other lesser-known figures included, causing dissatisfaction within the party and among Sobyanin himself.
• Opposition within the administration to Medvedev’s leadership stemmed from concerns about his pro-war stance amid public war fatigue and political rivalry from key figures like State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and political bloc head Sergei Kirienko.
• Putin emphasized that elections would proceed on schedule and positioned United Russia as "the president’s party," with campaign messaging focused on loyalty to Putin rather than Medvedev’s leadership.
• The Kremlin may adjust its performance targets for United Russia following the candidate announcement, with some sources skeptical that Lavrov’s top placement will improve the party’s ratings as effectively as Sobyanin might have.