Ben Wolfgang
The Washington Times, Feb. 21, 2023
Second of three parts
“He’s in danger of being outflanked by the very political constituency he created. The chauvinistic, nationalistic, arguably fascistic right wing that was his support base is now castigating him for not going far and hard enough.”
The West hoped its heavy military backing for Kyiv, the force of world opinion and the economic pressure campaign on Moscow would be enough to halt the war in Ukraine, but arguably the most critical forces confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin are much closer to home.
Prominent right-wing Russian nationalists, many of them early cheerleaders for the invasion, have become harshly critical of their military’s performance. Their influence and public profiles have risen over the past year to a point where they appear poised to shape Russia’s future and, if necessary, might have the ammunition needed to push Mr. Putin out of power.
A palace coup in Moscow, once seen as a theoretical path toward ending the war, now could bring about the opposite. Indeed, a Putin ouster this year could result in an even more ruthless, militaristic leader — perhaps someone willing to drag Russia into a full-blown war with NATO or even unleash the country’s nuclear stockpile.. … SOURCE