There are no immediate plans to deploy military instructors to Ukraine, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday, rowing back from comments by his defence minister who had suggested troops could carry out training in the country.
Is it though? “Directly in a fight with the West that they will lose”, and which would still probably be politically existential, seems like exactly the moment to push the big red button.
Commit suicide, kill your family and everything you’ve ever known because your political career is over?
In Russia that’s an implied outcome of your career being over, see Prigozhin. Actually, since your family is related to a political leader they may have better chances during a nuclear exchange, being in whatever bunker.
I think you have your wires crossed - Yeltsin died in office left in terrible health. You could use Gorbachev, but then you’re going back to the Soviet era that was completely different, if also not democratic. It’s also not unique to Russia. Autocrats everywhere make enemies while at the top, and retiring in peace is rare.
I guess it’s possible they could opt to ignore a direct attack and just take one for the team, as could the US if China invaded, but in both cases I think it’s more likely the threat is credible. Heck, by that logic, they could launch a limited nuclear strike on the US using the logic that the US wouldn’t escalate next, and win that way.
Oops, I read that wrong when I looked up his exact death date. He was pretty sick already though - the dude drank like a fish - and Putin was his chosen successor.
Is it though? “Directly in a fight with the West that they will lose”, and which would still probably be politically existential, seems like exactly the moment to push the big red button.
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In Russia that’s an implied outcome of your career being over, see Prigozhin. Actually, since your family is related to a political leader they may have better chances during a nuclear exchange, being in whatever bunker.
Not all of Russia is like that. Just one example is Yeltsin, Putin’s predecessor. He lived to a ripe old age and died years after Putin took over.
I think you have your wires crossed - Yeltsin
died in officeleft in terrible health. You could use Gorbachev, but then you’re going back to the Soviet era that was completely different, if also not democratic. It’s also not unique to Russia. Autocrats everywhere make enemies while at the top, and retiring in peace is rare.I guess it’s possible they could opt to ignore a direct attack and just take one for the team, as could the US if China invaded, but in both cases I think it’s more likely the threat is credible. Heck, by that logic, they could launch a limited nuclear strike on the US using the logic that the US wouldn’t escalate next, and win that way.
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Oops, I read that wrong when I looked up his exact death date. He was pretty sick already though - the dude drank like a fish - and Putin was his chosen successor.
I think the rest stands.