The ultra-nationalistic fervour he has been stoking for over two decades has paid off institutionally. Changes in legislation and the constitution, passed by servile lawmakers guarantee him ultimate powers until 2036.
Ukrainian intelligence has mentioned the possibility of his inner military/security circle removing him from power. Others observe that Putin has surrounded himself with a diminishing group of jingoistic war-hawks who bolster his fixation on Russia as a world superpower and who tell him only what he wants to hear.
Scholars point out that autocrats often find someone to blame when wars go badly. Thus, the fear of being named the fall guy could well drive people in Putin’s inner circle of military and security advisers to take him out to protect themselves. In fact, Ukrainian intelligence suggests that the head of the FSB, openly berated and humiliated for faulty intelligence assessments would be a likely choice as the new autocrat in the Kremlin.
But there are no indications that anxious and bullied security elite members are troubled enough to take any lead in eliminating Putin. Similarly, some of the entrenched technocrats are obediently trying to find ways to alleviate the hardships of the crippling sanctions. However, stories about oligarchs grumbling about serious threats to their fortunes have not made any discernible impact on Putin’s deadly single-mindedness.
(Read more: Estonian Life No. 12 2022 paber- and PDF/digi)
Laas Leivat, Toronto
