Putin under pressure but history tells us most Russian leaders die with their boots on

Russia's war in Ukraine has ground into a stalemate more than four years in, and the pressure on Vladimir Putin is starting to show. The Conversation reports that his approval rating has slipped to its lowest point since the 2022 invasion, while rare cracks of dissent — pro-war bloggers detained, one veteran warning of mutiny — are surfacing within his own base. Even so, the analysis argues his grip remains firm: since the revolution of 1917, almost every Russian and Soviet leader has died in office rather than been pushed out. And if a palace coup ever did come, the piece suggests, it would likely spring from hardliners who want an even more aggressive war, not from anyone seeking to end it. The most probable outcome, it concludes, is that Putin stays exactly where he is.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton