Advisor to the Ukrainian presidency Mykhailo Podoliak said that “the Russian elite understands that Vladimir Putin is inadequate”, but nevertheless it is difficult to overthrow him because there is distrust among his own circle.
In an interview with FREEDOM TV, Podoliak said that Russia has not had and does not have the opportunity to develop its own state, to build roads, to develop regions, if it has the opportunity to start a small war somewhere and commit genocide against people in another country. The concept of a “Russian world“ is built on aggression and external expansion.
The illusion that Russia can invest in its own development is a dangerous illusion, because Until Russia ceases to exist in this form, when it can provide resources for wars, large and small, nothing will change, the Ukrainian is categorical.
Today, in his opinion, the aggressor country has finally taken off all its masks and is simply killing people with impunity. Mikhail Podoliak also believes that among the current Russian elites and Putin's close circle there is an understanding that Putin is inadequate and that his actions will ultimately lead to a catastrophe. Despite the fact that support for the war against Ukraine among the Russian elites has decreased, for a number of reasons such backstage discussions are not leading anywhere.
Mutual distrust within the elites is at a very high level. That is why they cannot agree on a specific scenario in which this “maniac named Putin” would be overthrown from power.
Another important factor is that the Russian elites are now losing, are suffering losses. This is not the situation that it was even a year ago. According to Podoljak, however, these losses are not yet critical to stimulate the solution of the problem called Putin.
Podoljak also believes that Russian President Putin will not stop the war on his own and the talk that he is ready for concessions and negotiations does not correspond to reality.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has been conducting an intensive campaign of strikes inside Russia, including in cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, so that those living there feel the cost of the war that the Russian army has started. There is information about growing discontent among the Russian population, but to date there are no indications that Putin's power is at real risk.