r/worldnews • u/Raj_Valiant3011 • 11d ago

Russia/Ukraine Zelenskiy: "There is updated intelligence indicating that Russia is ​preparing a massive attack on Ukraine"

https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-intelligence-shows-russia-is-preparing-massive-attack-2026-10-06/
30.0k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

6.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

65

u/Mick_Limerick 10d ago

So what happens to Russia when he's deposed, assassinated, or dies? Does a not-crazy person get into office and make Russia not insane? Or does another Putin analog take power and continue to operate your country in insanity?

94

u/Lintwo 10d ago

Good question that experts are constantly speculating on. The current consensus is all power is concentrated around Putin. He’s the sole decision maker for everything in the country. There were attempts to find some sort of an heir, but every time it failed due to Putin’s paranoia that the heir might replace him sooner. If he dies 🤞🏻there’s probably gonna be a “palace” battle for the throne between people who hold most power after Putin. Mostly his oligarch buddies. There is hope that whoever takes his place will want to get back onto the first world market and will choose European course. In the process, there’s definitely going to be a massive economic crisis, people will go through hell, some regions might choose to separate. This is the optimistic scenario if the successor is reasonable. But for now we need to survive Putin. Whoever replaces him will be better, there’s just no worse alternative in existence.

32

u/shaneb1988 10d ago

Trump becomes new leader

14

u/Lintwo 10d ago

Haha. Touche.

0

u/anthropaedic 10d ago

ПТН ПТХ

0

u/WordsMort47 10d ago

What's that mean? Are you suggesting Netanyahu will become the true new leader of Russia??

12

u/Odd-Goose-8394 10d ago

I really really think that at this point anything is possible. Reality is not a boundary any more.

5

u/somecow 10d ago

This is sadly a recurring theme for a lot of countries. People have absolutely lost their damn minds.

All these crazy old dictators are just clinging to power, and are unfortunately REALLY good at waking up thinking of “how can we make things worse today”. Not just government, private sector too.

3

u/slowgenphizz 10d ago

I doubt Medvedev would be an improvement either.

5

u/Helio_Tropical 10d ago

Lol I'd love to see how Trump would drive up the price of Diesel to $6.52 in Russia.

It would be impressive conserving Russia is a leading oil producer, but I have no doubts he could fuck that up over there too.

Other than that, expect 200 cities, lakes and landmarks to be renamed after Trump lol.

2

u/yawanworhthrownaway 10d ago

Is that per gallon?
We’re paying $3.00 per litre in NZ.
There’s 3.78 litres per gallon.

2

u/Helio_Tropical 10d ago

Yikes yea I'm in the US so that's per gallon. I will stop complaining now lol, Jesus that's expensive over there.

2

u/StandFew6499 10d ago

Diesel works out as 4.72 NZ dollars/litre in the UK right now.

1

u/possible_monke 9d ago

Yup, not many Americans (myself included before doing some research) were very aware just how bad the crisis is abroad. Don't get me wrong, $6.50 a gallon average is pretty much unprecedented in US history and pretty apocalyptic for a lot of businesses, namely truckers, but comparatively we've managed to avoid the absolute worst of it. Does anyone know how France is doing rn? Legit asking, I hear it's really bad there in particular.

2

u/bustcorktrixdais 10d ago

Explain the mechanism and the progression. Game it out. I’ll wait.

Trump is bumbling and incompetent. It’s delusional to think he could get of his own way enough to accomplish anything substantive that doesn’t involve redecorating

1

u/MountainPurpose9321 9d ago

Are you suggesting that he IS “substantively” decorating? 🤢

1

u/possible_monke 9d ago

Trump flees America due to rising unpopularity and seeks asylum in Russia, the oligarchs nominate him and they change whatever the Russian version of the constitution is and hold a mock election as they always do, Trump magically wins by a landslide and succeeds Putin.

Then the entirety of Russia breaks up into numerous nation states and Russia collapses, just from the sheer idiocy and weight of Trump.

Something like that, idk

1

u/bustcorktrixdais 7d ago

That would make a great movie script or graphic novel

1

u/yawanworhthrownaway 8d ago

To be doing what he’s doing to Iran, somewhere in that mess he’s making himself an absolute fortune.

1

u/Dapper_Indeed 10d ago

I’d vote for that. Of course, I’m in the US. Unless he’d somehow be even more dangerous over there than he is here?

4

u/AnmlBri 10d ago

I don’t think I’d wish Trump on anyone. Also, even if he was over there instead of over here, the whole world would still have to deal with him.

1

u/Aes_Should_Die 10d ago

They can have him

1

u/HeinerPhilipp 10d ago

That would be worse. The would push nuke button thinking it was the diet coke button...

1

u/MountainPurpose9321 9d ago

My thoughts exactly as I read /Lintwo… you both get my humble upvote!😎

4

u/hurlasunder 10d ago

Whoever replaces him will be better, there’s just no worse alternative in existence.

You really should never tempt fate like this. If Russian history has a theme, it's that things can always get worse.

1

u/Lintwo 10d ago

Indeed. Russia’s motto: …and then it got worse.

3

u/Suzy196658 10d ago

Please don’t tempt fate! There can ALWAYS BE WORSE!!

2

u/WordsMort47 10d ago

The period of the coming of Putin's successor will certainly be a massive chapter in the history books.

2

u/Normal-Artichoke-403 10d ago

I see a plot for a “Death of Stalin” part 2!!

2

u/Lintwo 10d ago

Omg I could definitely see it happen. Or “Weekend-at-Bernie’s” Putin for a while after his death lol.

1

u/No-Department-4561 10d ago

He has a daughter no? Maybe it will be a Nth Korean style succession

1

u/vrnvorona 10d ago

I think the same, I assume that most of his surroundings are "in boat with him, but not as crazy" - wanting money and be rich, but not wage pointless wars.

They clearly won't lessen grip on internal population though, FSB got us good and they will fight for that control regardless of Putin or not. Maybe even will try to instate their person as leader and convert to full China surveillance state?

1

u/Bodymaster 10d ago

Maybe the more pertinent question is when does the Putin AI replace the flesh Putin, and how seemless will the transition be?

1

u/JeanLucPicardAND 10d ago

Whoever replaces him will be better, there’s just no worse alternative in existence.

???

Oh no, there's worse out there. Imagine if someone like Kadyrov made it into the Kremlin. That specific example is unlikely to happen for obvious reasons (Russians would simply never accept a Chechnyan president, and it's not like he's running anyway), but just imagine someone with that guy's temperament with his thumb on the nuclear button.

1

u/mzzchief 10d ago

Imagine how different the world would be if certain individuals were never born.

1

u/Aargh_Tenna 10d ago

Whoever replaces him will be better, there’s just no worse alternative in existence.

Oh my sweet summer child...

1

u/Much-Revolution5152 10d ago

Sorry for your country. If Ukraine had been supported properly with weapons and defense, I think they may have won more than likely. But tRump is compromised somehow. Plus he (tRump) has enjoyed Putin's election interference. We're in a bad spot in US as well. You can see how demented and desperate he is with the elections coming soon. It may get ugly depending on what happens, and what they do. I'm very proud of the Ukrainian people, and what they have done and endured.

1

u/moeb1us 8d ago

Watch rules for rulers by cgpgrey.

Nobody rules alone

1

u/Technical_Put_9982 10d ago

Hitler would be worse… Thank God he is not around.

0

u/AcanthisittaSpare400 10d ago

This is why Trump loves him.

0

u/Friendly_Estate1629 10d ago

Does the Russian Imperial movement have any actual shot at power? Cause those guys could definitely be worse than Putin  

2

u/TheSenrigan 10d ago

There's isn't any real imperial movement. You can hear then only because its illegal be against war

0

u/Equivalent_Vast_1717 10d ago

Revolution. Isn’t that one way to get rid of such situation?

0

u/foxydevil14 10d ago

There’s always someone worse out there.

0

u/adonericthewayfarer 10d ago

This is the optimistic scenario

Sir, this is Russia

0

u/CL0UDY_BIGTINY 10d ago

Do be to sure I’m sure America is gonna try and have a say in who runs things and they don’t tend to pick the best for the people of that country they usually pick who ever is corrupted enough to give America what they want and once that stops it’s war or just straight murder them and slap some one els in to power that will do the same they have been doing it since the beginning of America since capitalism dosnt work with out slave or close to slave labor the Middle East and South America among others have had to deal with it for ever I’m sure America would be happy to expand that to Russia

8

u/mcvos 10d ago

Russia has had a very poor track record with its leaders. Everyone who did something good, did something else that was terrible.

Lenin overthrew the Tsar (who definitely deserved it), just to replace it with a new dictatorship. Stalin industrialised Russia, but killed millions. Gorbachev finally brought more freedom, but broke the USSR. Yeltsin dismantled the USSR but bankrupted the country. Putin fixed the economy but is a brutal totalitarian warmonger.

And even the Tsars were all pretty terrible. Even the ones we consider great were pretty brutal. I believe Catherine's mother in law was beloved during her rule because she didn't have anyone killed, which also tells you how rare that was.

2

u/Normal-Artichoke-403 10d ago

It’s absolutely fascinating. I’ve read so many books about it, so many podcasts and documentaries. And that makes me nervous. Because it’s such a massive empire that’s only been controlled by dictators. I feel like Gorbachev could have done good things if he’d stayed on a little longer?

2

u/mcvos 9d ago

Gorbachev was doing some very good things: reforms, a more open society, ending the Cold War. The West is a big fan of him. To the Russians, however, he's the guy who lost the Cold War and ended the USSR, even if he was actually trying to keep it together.

2

u/Putrefied_Goblin 8d ago

Not to mention, by the end he was a messy alcoholic whose health was failing, and who was a constant embarrassment (furthering the humiliation).

I understand why Russians turned against 'democracy' and American style capitalism (I phrase it this way because Russia is still capitalist, and arguably was to some degree before the fall of the USSR) after Gorbachev, and then Yeltsin and the oligarchs, and then Putin and the oligarchs, robbed the country and took over state assets for pennies, while regular Russians starved and lost their jobs and any feeling of dignity they had left. Yeltsin and his oligarch-backers completely sabotaged the country, but regular people only knew that their lives were worse off under 'democracy' and 'capitalism', so blamed external forces (rather than internal problems).

Putin convinces Yeltsin to give him power, and sends ambiguous signals about him favoring 'democracy' and so on. Cue Putin and the FSB bombings those apartments and blaming Chechens. Putin rises/consolidates power, wages brutal wars and represses freedom, installs himself as a dictator, but stabilizes the Russian economy and looks 'strong'.

2

u/mcvos 8d ago

Gorbachev a messy alcoholic? I've heard that about Yeltsin, not Gorbachev. Yeltsin really mishandled the transition away from communism. I think the IMF wanted Russian state companies privatised (that was really popular in Europe as well at the time), and Yeltsin didn't want to sell Russia to foreign interests, so he sold it at a discount to Russians, which became the oligarchs.

The right approach would have been to not privatise anything but allow competition. Keep the state companies but give up their monopoly status. Sadly privatisation was too much in fashion in the west at the time.

2

u/Putrefied_Goblin 7d ago

Sorry, I mixed it up, you're right. It was Yeltsin who was the messy alcoholic. I actually agree with you about privatization, and wish the US had done the same thing after WWII instead of selling all the state infrastructure at a discounted rate. A mixed state/private economy is better, in my opinion. I prefer the Nordic model combining socialism and capitalism the most, though.

3

u/Normal-Artichoke-403 7d ago

I live in the Netherlands and it’s infuriating to see what privatisation has done to our country & systems.

1

u/Normal-Artichoke-403 7d ago

I know! The traitor 😩 So sad. I really think he could have kept a democratic socialist ideology. Freedom, a better economy & a social safety net..

1

u/Thatingles 10d ago

It's because Russia is an empire and has a strong tendency to elevate autocrats that can control it. The fear is that loosening of controls and democracy would lead to its collapse. See also, China.

9

u/No-Engineering-6317 10d ago

What happens? The rich get richer and the poor don’t get a fkn thing.

1

u/SweetPotato5566 10d ago

The saying I know is that the rich get richer and the poor get children.

1

u/Helio_Tropical 10d ago

He won't be unless Russia sustains loss of life to an intolerable amount. If Russia loses 5M+ soldiers, thats the point where the economy and future population growth rate will be unacceptable politically.

If he keeps his KIAs down and sustains his control of the media in Russia, he can carry on without too much political risk.

1

u/happy123z 10d ago

Same question but for here in the U.S. 😆

1

u/CL0UDY_BIGTINY 10d ago

I’m sure America will make sure another Putin is put back in power if it happens during the current regime that’s there or they will put someone in that will bend the knee to the USA and we will have a war when they stop like they do with every other country that they can take advantage of

1

u/MrRicky014 10d ago

I think Putin is a relative moderate to some in his inner circle. The next Russian leader might be far more crazy, hardline and hate the West and willing to use nukes. This optimism for a 'liberal' and 'pro-Western' Russian leader is wishful thinking. Russian public opinion is more anti-Ukraine, anti-West since the war started so very unlikely the the West are getting a 'friendlier' leader.

Historically speaking we had Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev. Don't think they be any nicer to Ukraine if they were in Putin's shoes.

1

u/Realistic-Drama-8904 10d ago

Civil war, breakaway states.

1

u/yunglegendd 10d ago

Yeah it immediately becomes a democracy because the current dictator died (big sarcasm)

1

u/JickJack82 10d ago

A worst one

1

u/CelebrationShort1857 10d ago

Oh from what I understand a massive war between the billionaires who have their own security forces to see who rules Russia. It won’t be pretty.

0

u/brianbmx94 10d ago

It’ll likely go the way of Tito in Yugoslavia. Likely a lot of conflicts and small wars, each holding a leader they believe should be installed, and fighting to the death to see that their preference fills the massive vacuum. Almost every government led by a solitary being has ended up like that afterward.

-1

u/teeekuuu 10d ago

You can't cure what their population is suffering from in a generation. Their imperialist mindset is rooted into the DNA, their history books teach absolute BS as long as mother ruZZia is depicted as the best etc. The culture itself needs to be healed before they can start healing. Culturally, they're still in the 90's, romanticizing criminals and corruptioin.

0

u/EmberKing7 10d ago

I have a feeling someone like Lavrov will try to take the seat