If Zelensky is killed, will Putin be able to survive as Russian leader?

[Doodley]

[iemanja]

1. How would that threaten Putin's rule?

[Doodley]

8. Repercussions from other nations, Putin's standing in the world, PR disaster.

[iemanja]

11. Putin's survived bad PR for a very long time

He's had no qualms about assassinating dissidents in foreign countries. The British certainly didn't care for those crimes on their soil and called out Putin in response. Putin actually seems to enjoy being an international pariah. He's a strong man who wants the world to know that's what he is.

Have you heard anything about whether the meeting between Zelensky and Putin is actually taking place? Is that how you were thinking about Putin's assassinating Zelensky?

[Doodley]

15. He's losing his ability to control the information that the Russian people can access.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. What if he kills Vitali Klitschko?

He's to Ukraine What Muhammad Ali was to many Americans.

[BGBD]

2. Most nations of the world would list him as a war criminal

and he's be unable to function on the world stage.

[Doodley]

9. Yes, that seems likely.

[WarGamer]

3. I'm more and more convinced that Putin will announce retirement after this is all done...

For health reasons or whatever... I don't think he's President next year.

[iemanja]

5. ????

He takes over a neighboring country only to retire? Or do you think the oligarchs will force him out?

[WarGamer]

13. It's just my theory.

1) The oligarchs are unhappy.

2) The population is unhappy

3) Health issues



I predict some kind of retirement, protection granted for him to live his billionaire life for as long as he has.

A younger more moderate leader, better ties with the west...

[iemanja]

16. that would be fantastic

I hope you're right.

[Gore1FL]

18. Usually that sort of retirement involves something like polonium. nt

[WarGamer]

21. A "Roman" style retirement? lol...

The average Roman Emperor reigned for less than 8 years... lol

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

22. That's the way I'm calling it too.

Putin bigly overplayed his hand in this.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

20. In the former Soviet Union, now Russia,

retiring due to health reasons usually meant that one was deposed.

I think the Russian High Command is to re-evaluate their relationship with him as the war gets worse and they'll remove him and his toadies.

[11 Bravo]

24. In the long tradition of Russian leaders voluntarily leaving office.

[WarGamer]

25. so you're thinking a "Roman Empire" retirement?

[11 Bravo]

26. Works for me. Et tu, Sergei has a nice ring to it.

[roamer65]

4. The Mayor of Kiev would step up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitali_Klitschko

[Hekate]

6. As a ruthless murdering dictator, he's already set, unless one of his inner circle does him in.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

7. For a while....

Sooner or later, he will be hunted down like Saddam Hussein was. Hopefully taken alive and shipped to The Hague.

[maxsolomon]

10. the odds won't change.

odds are still good that he'll survive for another decade.

[Doodley]

12. Russians are already protesting. He may be able to rig his elections, but his

ego will be bruised when he sees how little respect he has in and out of Russia.

[durablend]

17. Didn't stop someone else

Still thinks he's the bigliest thing around and EVERYONE adores him

[maxsolomon]

23. Autocrats are very difficult to dislodge.

I don't think I need to make a list; there's plenty of examples from the post-WW2 era. But when they go, it's because they're too old to hang on.

He's not even elderly yet.

[Happy Hoosier]

19. Honestly, I think Putin is on dangerous ground in any case.

He is destroying what good will Russia had and the military's mediocre performance is just frankly a huge national embarrassment.