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The Death of Putin
When we think of Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953, we think of the struggle for power that followed. Boris Yeltsin came to power after an unsuccessful coup that turned out to be successful after it forced Mikhail Gorbachev to admit defeat. Leaders often had to be brought down by force in Russia to bring about change.
Since 1999, Putin poisoned the minds of regular Russians with disinformation campaigns that many still believe. Two decades later, it’s fairly difficult to imagine someone else in the Kremlin. But it’s possible and, actually, quite likely that Putin will be replaced soon — especially after the tremendous disaster his large-scale invasion of Ukraine has been for Russia.
Let me explain.
Some have been speculating about Putin’s health in recent months. He might have cancer, they say. But there’s no conclusive evidence. Clearly, however, Putin is aging. And he is weaker.
Five years ago, pictures taken of Putin show him fairly healthy. He seems fit and lean. Compare that with appearances today and you see that Putin’s face is bloated and his general demeanor comes across as a mixture of annoyed and fatigued (like when he was waiting for Turkey’s Erdogan recently).
Another televised appearance shows Putin in conversation with his Defence Minister, Sergey Shoigu, on 21 April where he is forcibly holding on…
