The West Must Prepare for a Post-Putin Russia

Every dictator dreams of living to a ripe old age and dying in power, leaving behind a worshipful cult to ensure their immortality. Putin's disastrous war in Ukraine, which was supposed to take Kyiv in three days, may bring his end sooner than he thinks. There was already one violent coup attempt against him last spring, and there are signs of failing health and increasing delusion. As his war drags on, with more Russians forced into the meat grinder, or coming home wounded, armed, and angry, Russia is a powder keg. Is the West ready for the collapse of Russia? Will the country return to the chaos and car bombs of the 1990s? Will the statues of Stalin come down or be joined by ones to Putin? If the Kremlin is ripped apart by a succession battle, what will happen to the nukes? Olga Lautman, the Russian mafia expert and co-host of the Kremlin Files podcast, joins Gaslit Nation to forecast the collapse of Russia and why the West must get ready, especially for the sake of ensuring Ukraine prevails–for all of us. This week's bonus show, exclusive to our supporters at the Truth-teller level and higher, answers questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To our Patreon community, we look forward to seeing you at our Gaslit Nation Social Media workshop on January 18th at 8 pm EST, made especially for those who hate social media. Rachel Brody, a tenacious organizer who helps various campaigns with their social media strategy, will help lead the discussion and answer your questions. To get access to our January 18th social media workshop, subscribe at the Truth-teller level or higher on Patreon.com/Gaslit  Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you! SHOW NOTES: Razom Call to Action – save Ukraine https://www.instagram.com/p/C12YBemup2G/ With Shutdown Looming, House and Senate Leaders Agree on Spending Levels Despite the deal, time is short to assemble and pass legislation putting the agreement in force before a Jan. 19 deadline. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/us/congress-spending-deal-shutdown.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20240107&instance_id=0&nl=breaking-news&ref=cta&regi_id=48614702&segment_id=154521&user_id=097a378032011d6e8be1570cdce0a176 Putin's ally Netanyahu helping him his war in Ukraine: https://twitter.com/CrisLeeMaza/status/1743296552561480140 Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/23/world/europe/putin-russia-ukraine-war-cease-fire.html Russia must be held accountable over Ukraine – we should seize its assets Joseph Stiglitz and Andrew Kosenko https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/08/russia-ukraine-seize-assets-us-eu Putin's $300bn Belongs to Ukraine https://cepa.org/article/putins-300bn-belongs-to-ukraine/ Pentagon didn't inform Biden, White House for days about Austin's hospitalization https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/06/pentagon-took-3-days-to-inform-white-houses-nsc-of-austins-hospitalization-00134176 "It's time to act": Biden calls for over US$60 billion in aid to Ukraine https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/01/8/7436292/ US Intelligence Shows Flawed China Missiles Led Xi to Purge Army China missiles filled with water, not fuel: US intelligence Xi seeking to root out corruption, prepare military for combat https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-06/us-intelligence-shows-flawed-china-missiles-led-xi-jinping-to-purge-military?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=twitter Military briefing: Russia has the upper hand in electronic warfare with Ukraine Both Kyiv and Moscow seek to bolster drone jamming capabilities as attacks mount  https://www.ft.com/content/a477d3f1-8c7e-4520-83b0-572ad674c28e Top 10 Trends for 2024 https://www.ft.com/content/9edcf793-aaf7-42e2-97d0-dd58e9fab8ea Extraordinary thread by Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer, Dept of War Studies, King's College London. Russian and US foreign & security policy https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1741506057719951483.html