On Replacing Putin — After Embarrassing Coup, What is the Future of Russian Leadership?

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s coup has hurt Putin. It revealed his weaknesses. It showed that Putin is not entirely in control.

If the disastrous full-scale invasion was not enough, for those in doubt, then surely now, even the most adamant Putin apologists should see that Putin is standing on thin ice.

Despite the great enjoyment many of us had from seeing Prigozhin’s forces march on Moscow (supposedly, Prigozhin remained in Rostov in a bunker for safety), the image of Prigozhin at the helm of a nuclear arsenal was not exactly ideal.

But Prigozhin is not the only candidate that could replace Putin in the Kremlin. There are at least two noteworthy candidates that come to mind.

Let’s discuss.

Photo by Ivan Lapyrin on Unsplash

First, let’s establish the gravity of the matter here.

Putin has long tacitly hinted at the fact that he is a better alternative to some of the other prominent Russian politicians in the politburo.

Imagining some of them in charge of Russia’s nuclear arsenal is truly sobering.

I have heard various estimates when it comes to their nuclear stockpile. Some have speculated that they possess as many as 15,000 nuclear warheads, others claim that by…