Doesn't seem like Putin has what it takes to move past Ukraine, but..

[Woodswalker]

Unless he's planning on going out with an apocalyptic death wish. Which would of course include a nuclear holocaust causing huge amounts of civilian casualties and destroyed cities around the world and the total destruction of Russia. Putin has absolute power and if history has taught us anything it's that leaders with absolute often lose their minds. Hitler knew very well that Germany would be overrun and totally destroyed well before Russians entered Berlin. I'm not sure Putin has the loyalty Adolf had but he is a mastermind nevertheless. I'm just hoping I'm totally wrong but is it possible Putin wants to go out in some type of blaze of glory like a mass shooter who knows he will die but wants to take as much humanity with him in the process.

[Tetrachloride]

1. Putin is scared of his own honor guard, I am told.

by a refugee.

[WarGamer]

2. Even Hitler didn't want to go "full blaze of glory"...

The Germans had the most advanced chemical weapons program in the world in WW2.

They invented Sarin and Tabun gas...

Could have killed MILLIONS.

[Kaleva]

4. Yes.

[underpants]

8. Hitler was quite drug addled

I believe it was morphine and amphetamines to keep him up.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Putin is said to be very well protected.

But if push comes to shove he has an extraction plan for himself.
He is old school KGB.

Said to have a place in South America lined up.

[Johonny]

7. Like Russian leaders before him, he's willing to use his population as bullet shields

And there seems to be no end to the numbers he's willing to lose in the Ukraine. And thus, likely little chance of Ukraine totally removing Russian troops. Unless Putin dies (possible), is overthrown (less likely), he will continue to plow men onto the battlefield to hold a small sliver of gains until some grand deal is struck. All of which means, the war will continue and many more Russian soldiers and Ukrainians will die pointlessly.

[Strelnikov_]

9. Putin is a rational actor

He has the tiger by the tail . . . he is caught between reality and a nationalist base . . a Slavic MAGA so to speak.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-update-february-5-2023