A veteran former head of the US Central Intelligence Agency has declared that Vladimir Putin’s days are numbered and predicts the Russian president will be overthrown in a “Black Swan” palace coup.
And the overthrow of one of the most divisive and ruthless leaders in modern history is only a matter of time.
Jack Devine worked for three decades in the United States spy agency and told Sun newspaper in an exclusive interview that he wouldn’t be surprised if Putin “disappeared tomorrow.”
Speculation about the future of Russia’s leadership has been raging for some time, and the country’s forceful performance in its war with Ukraine has intensified the talks.
So have endless reports about Putin’s poor health, with rumors emerging from inside the Kremlin that at various points he has been close to death.
He then faced an armed uprising led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, who gathered his Wagner Group mercenaries in a strange and short-lived plot.
Prigozhin died for his disloyalty.
But Devine, 83, who led thousands of spies on covert and classified missions around the world for 32 years, believes Putin’s demise will lie in the hands of those closest to him.
Vladimir Putin’s days are numbered, a former CIA chief predicted. ZUMAPRESS.com
“Putin could be gone tomorrow and I wouldn’t be surprised if some element of the government had decided to take executive action,” Devine said. Sun.
Devine believes Putin has become increasingly unpredictable and dangerous, and his invasion of Ukraine has “seeded his political demise.”
The Russian president continues to launch his troops into meat grinder attacks to try to secure a winter victory.
The devastated town of Avdiivka – the gateway to the main city of Donetsk, which lies 12 miles to the east – has become the deadliest flashpoint of the war as Putin tries to break a painful stalemate.
Devine believes the tyrant’s popularity will continue to decline as the war progresses, but that won’t stop his gruesome work.
Vladimir Putin’s grip on power is increasingly weak. Via REUTERS
The Russian leader will continue his fight “whatever the cost,” Devine said.
“The more losses and violence that are visible to Russian citizens, the less people want to get involved,” he explained.
“You will find it difficult to recruit, but after all it is Russia. He will find a way to force and attract.
“At the end of the day, you will come up with the military, but war will become less and less popular.”
The “stalemate” in Ukraine will likely lead to Putin’s overthrow in a “Black Swan” palace coup, particularly if it appears that Russia’s efforts are resulting in a “permanent stalemate.”
“It will be a surprise. There is always what we call a ‘Black Swan’ that appears out of nowhere.
“But if a ‘Black Swan’ fails you, I think your problems begin when there is a stalemate and that is now. I don’t think it’s an uprising. “I think it will be what we could call a palace coup.”
A growing number of military analysts agree that Putin’s power cannot last much longer and that the end of his reign is near, whether due to a coup, an assassination, the collapse of the regime or his failing health.
Devine said Putin’s behavior of late suggests the president has become increasingly unpredictable and dangerous, and likely realizes he has “seeded his political demise” with the Ukraine war.
Russia continues to send countless troops into battle, facing heavy casualties and embarrassing military defeats.
As the war continues and the country’s humiliation worsens, Devine believes Putin’s popularity will plummet.
Ukraine remains determined to defeat Russia’s invasion attempts and continues to gain strong support from the West.
On top of that, the European Union’s efforts to incorporate Ukraine, which would offer NATO protection, represent a significant strategic loss for Putin.
Local resident Tetiana inspects her ruined apartment at the site of a drone attack on a residential building in kyiv (kyiv), Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion. Oleg Petrasyuk/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Devine fears that the situation will not “improve” in the short term, as both sides are unwilling to back down despite the rising costs.
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“The Ukrainians are not going to give them territory. Putin is not going to retire.
“But you can lower the temperature. They have to relax, when everyone realizes that there is no hope of Putin winning.
“He is not going to lose in the technical sense. They are not going to force him to return to Russia. Anyone who expects that has false hopes.
“But I don’t think it’s too far away. “I think next year we will see an almost permanent stalemate.”
Whatever happens with Putin, Devine said it is unlikely that the person who replaces him will be dramatically different.
And that makes policing the so-called “Axis of Evil” of China, Iran and Russia even more important.
“They are trying to draw their allies into an alliance and an axis,” he said.
“And I think we can see it demonstrated with the Hamas attack on Israel and how Russia is playing that.
“Putin’s expansionist capabilities are psychological and political at the moment, and I think it is in the non-European world where he is making some progress.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn