"Western wishful thinking": Putin's downfall due to mass protests is unlikely, according to Russia experts

Created: 04/22/2022, 11:47 am

By: Sonja Thomaser

The picture released by Russia's state-run Sputnik news agency via AP shows Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, during his visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

© Evgeny Biyatov/dpa

Nonetheless, Leonid Volkov believes that Putin's power is likely to be overthrown because of the Ukraine war - because things are seething in the Kremlin's inner circle.

Berlin – The Russian exile oppositionist Leonid Volkov has described a possible fall of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin through mass demonstrations against the Ukraine war as western wishful thinking.

"The idea that Putin could be swept away by a few large protest marches is naïve," said the close confidante of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to the editorial network Germany (Friday editions).

Nevertheless, he thinks Putin's disempowerment is likely because of the Russian invasion in the neighboring country - things are seething in the inner circle of the Kremlin.

Volkov: "Putin's ouster will come"

After the recent tightening of penalties, many Russians feel that the risk of being arrested and losing their jobs for taking part in demonstrations is too great, said Volkov.

"Putin's ouster will come, but in a different way."

There is enormous unrest in circles of the political and economic elite in Moscow, said Volkov.

Putin's military plans in Ukraine have turned out to be unreal.

At the same time, Russia is suffering real damage from the economic sanctions imposed by the West.

"These two factors add up to a pressure on Putin that will sooner or later cost him the office, I'm very confident about that," Volkov said.

Russia: Navalny still wants to be president

In the event of his release, the prominent Putin critic Navalny would "of course" run for president, said Volkov.

Since Navalny has earned a reputation for years as a persistent fighter against corruption and the "obscene differences between rich and poor in Russia", people regard him as credible.

Navalny has been imprisoned in a penal camp east of Moscow since the beginning of last year.

A poison attack was carried out on the opposition politician in Russia in August 2020, for which he blames Putin.

The Kremlin denies the accusation.

(sot/AFP)