Main Risk to Putin's Regime Stability – Expert

A report by the Center for New Eurasian Strategies (NEST), co-founded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, claims that Putin's regime is stable, with the main risk being the sudden illness or death of the president. Western sanctions and protests are not considered the primary threat. Security expert William Alberque warns of possible chaos and civil war in the event of Putin's death.

The Center for New Eurasian Strategies (NEST), co-founded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2024, has presented a report according to which Putin's regime possesses high economic and political stability and does not face the threat of imminent collapse. As Welt writes, Western sanctions and street protests do not pose the main danger to the Kremlin; the primary risk is identified as the sudden illness or death of the president. It is also noted that the end of the war could hit the economy due to reduced military spending and payments to combatants. Security expert William Alberque from the Pacific Forum, in an interview with 24 Kanal, stated that the continuation of hostilities and the sudden departure of Putin could plunge Russia into chaos and civil war, as the system is overly dependent on a single leader, and there is no one to whom power can be transferred. He foresees a struggle among oligarchs, security forces, and political groupings, possibly over the nuclear arsenal. Alberque considers moving hostilities to Russian territory an effective step that undermines support for the authorities, but he does not expect mass protests or a coup.