Russia’s future ‘deeply uncertain’ after Ukraine invasion, former diplomat says
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has set the country on a path towards turmoil that could unseat the president, trigger civil war or even ultimately break the country apart, a former Russian diplomat warns.
Boris Bondarev resigned in May because, he said, the war had shown how repressive and warped Russia had become.
Bondarev said the state is infested by “yes men” who allow President Vladimir Putin to make big decisions in an echo chamber of his own propaganda.
“If Putin is kicked out of office, Russia’s future will be deeply uncertain,” Bondarev said in an essay in Foreign Affairs.
“It’s entirely possible his successor will try to carry on the war, especially given that Putin’s main advisers hail from the security services. But no one in Russia commands his stature, so the country would likely enter a period of political turbulence. It could even descend into chaos.”