And if Putin is near to being overthrown, he will likely skedaddle to some form of comfortable exile with security guarantees from the West and an immunity deal from his domestic adversaries. My guess is that is how it ends, with Putin and a circle of cronies enjoying residence in Switzerland, Serbia, or Spain — or perhaps all three, with his whereabouts depending on the season.
“with security guarantees from the West”
He’ll get the same kind of “guarantees” he gave Prigozhin. Ones that won’t be worth the paper they are printed on once he relinquishes his bargaining chips.
So many people here assume that the next ruler of russia will be better than putin. There are many there who think a first strike on the US is the way to go. Putin hasn’t been forceful enough in his dealings with the west.