The 'writing on the wall' of Putin's demise has begun to appear.

 Natalie Musumeci (left) reports that,

"Russia's entire political system is in a state of "shock" following the Kremlin's recent disastrous defeats in Vladimir Putin's war with
Ukraine, the Russian president's former speechwriter said.

"The Russian political system is in real shock now — this is no exaggeration," Abbas Gallyamov, a political consultant and ex-speechwriter to Putin, told
CNN in an interview published on Wednesday. (Business Insider : 16 September 2022) (my emphasis)

Natalie Musumeci further reports that,

"The whole system is in shock and what makes this situation worse is the absolutely inadequate reaction of Putin personally," [Abbas] Gallyamov (right) told CNN, adding that when Putin "is in shock himself" and "doesn't know how to act," the Russian leader "is trying to show that nothing bad is happening." (ibid Natalie Musumeci) (my emphasis)

Even China's Xi Jinping is keeping Putin somewhat at arms length, distancing himself from Putin's war with Ukraine.

As reported by Natasha Turak (left),

"Signs of tension have emerged between allies Russia and China, as Putin acknowledged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s “questions and concerns” about Russian operations in Ukraine during the leaders’ first in-person meeting since the war began on Feb. 24." (CNBC : 16 September 2022) (my emphasis)

Finding himself in an ever decreasing tight political corner, Putin is now resorting to directly threatening the US, UK, and the EU.

As reported by Henry Moore,

"Russia's bloodthirsty dictator sent a chilling warning to the United States as he met with China's Xi Jinping yesterday.
...
"The United States and its allies, who supply weapons to the Kyiv regime, are actually becoming accomplices in its war crimes,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

“If Washington decides to supply Kyiv with longer-range missiles, it will cross the red line and become a direct party to the conflict."  (The Sun : 16 Setember 2022) (my emphasis)

It is therefore no wonder that,

"Gallyamov said that he believes that Russian elites will begin to look for a successor to be appointed within the next few months.

"I think the next thing which is going to happen in Russian politics within the next like several months, maybe up to half a year, is the elites will start looking for a successor, and so the political process will begin around this figure," he told CNN." (ibid Natalie Musumeci)

Putin's business elites, viz. those oligarchs who have amassed enormous wealth during the Putin years, and who have had their assets in the West frozen since Putin's invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, and during Putin's current war with Ukraine, now find themselves EXCLUDED from even travelling to the EU, the US, and Britain, amongst other countries.

Even where they have tried to squirrel away their money in taxpayer off-shore havens, such as the Cayman Islands, they now find their billions of dollars frozen under sanctions.

 

Business Insider: YouTube : 28 May 2022

Having nowhere to go in the West, and having their assets either seized or frozen in the US, UK, and EU, it is no wonder that these oligarchs now resident in Russia are focussing their minds on "life without Putin".

And in his latest telephone tête-à-tête with Putin, the rather 'Putinversteher' response of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, to confronting Putin over his war with Ukraine is beginning to waver slightly.

As reported by Daniel Stewart,

"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he urged to seek a diplomatic way out of the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia at the end of February.

... Scholz urged Putin to facilitate a cease-fire in Ukraine and asked him to withdraw Russian troops in Ukraine, as well as to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his neighboring country." (MSN (360 News): 13 September 2022) (my emphasis)

Following in the footsteps of Angela Merkel, whose dealings with Putin had, in the forefront of her mind, Germany's fourishing business agenda with Russia (left: German business jackboots walking over Ukraine towards Russia), Scholz is urging a diplomatic solution in the face of Putin continuing to bombard Ukraine with missiles as Ukraine continues to regain territorial sovereignty over Ukrainian lands occupied by Putin's army.

As the army of Ukraine continues to gain the upper hand in its war with Putin's Russia, the 'writing on the wall' signifying Putin's demise has begun to appear.

It is now only a matter of time.

STOP PRESS ... 17 September 2022

Alys Davies (left) reports that,

"US President Joe Biden has warned Russia not to use chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.

Speaking during an interview with CBS News, Mr Biden said such action would "change the face of war unlike anything since World War Two".

He would not say what response the US would make to the use of such weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin put the country's nuclear forces on "special" alert following its invasion of Ukraine in February." (BBC News : 17 September 2022) (my emphasis)

 

(to be continued)