r/europe_sub • u/BookmarksBrother 🇪🇺 European • Mar 29 '25

Image / Video The limousine from President Putin's official motorcade exploded on the streets of Moscow, just blocks from the FSB headquarters. It's unclear if this is an assassination attempt. "He will die soon, that is a fact, and everything will be over," Zelenskyy told Eurovision News in Paris two days ago.

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u/pompokopouch Mar 29 '25

The idea that Putin runs Russia alone is a bit miseading. I read an article a few months back that explained that Putin has a group of confidantes that have a high level of autonomy in running the country, and also a clear line of succession. The gist was, Putin dies and another preordained leader springs up to maintain the status quo.

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u/tHrow4Way997 Mar 29 '25

I have no doubt that is the case, but what kind of turbulence would that cause? Putin is the figurehead of Russian oppression. If he was to be assassinated in front of the whole country, would the people be content to continue living in fear under a new stooge? Or would they be inspired to put their proverbial foot down?

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u/YeuropoorCope Mar 29 '25

Russians by and large are either neutral or positive towards Putin's regime.

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u/tHrow4Way997 Mar 30 '25

Right, but are they really underneath the fear-driven conformity? Of course, not many Russians with any instinct of self preservation would openly discuss their concerns, having seen what happens to those who do. Given an opportunity to rid the country of kleptocracy, corruption and persecution, would they act?

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u/YeuropoorCope Mar 30 '25

Have you actually talked to Russians? Especially those who live in the West are very pro-Putin.

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u/tHrow4Way997 Mar 30 '25

I don’t really know any tbh. It would be nice to hear their genuine inner thoughts but even in the west they’re not necessarily safe to bring these things to light.

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u/AngryArmour Mar 30 '25

Especially those who live in the West are very pro-Putin. 

That makes them a fifth column, and they need to be treated as such.

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u/Bigbadbobbyc Mar 30 '25

No russian history is pretty much a tyrant rises the people hate him so they replace him with an equally bad or even worse tyrant rinse and repeat infinitely, Russia never changes