This is pure propaganda. Putin will do no such thing. He's not an absolute dictator: he has a political class that he answers to, and these guys own it. On top of that, he's one of them.
Except that's not true. Western propaganda makes Putin out to be a Stalinesque autocrat, but that's just not accurate. He can't govern without the oligarchy on his side, and he can't afford to piss them off. That's the truth.
Yup. Every Russian I've spoken to says it's the Oligarchs who run Russia and Putin is more or less a figurehead. It's no different than western countries except Putin is actually competent and command respect in his own right, whereas western leaders do not.
This is pure propaganda. Putin will do no such thing. He's not an absolute dictator: he has a political class that he answers to, and these guys own it. On top of that, he's one of them.
Who do these people think he is? Trudeau?
More like, he owns them.
You don't need to nationalize what you already control.
Except that's not true. Western propaganda makes Putin out to be a Stalinesque autocrat, but that's just not accurate. He can't govern without the oligarchy on his side, and he can't afford to piss them off. That's the truth.
Yup. Every Russian I've spoken to says it's the Oligarchs who run Russia and Putin is more or less a figurehead. It's no different than western countries except Putin is actually competent and command respect in his own right, whereas western leaders do not.
Respect? He's insane. It's most likely just fear of repercussion from his cronies.
I think you've got that order reversed. He's absolutely an autocrat, Russia's never had a government that wasn't autocratic.
He would still seize Russian assets at the behest of those Oligarchs. Just as our government will.