Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Slinger
The West needs to stand up to him but also needs to be cautious and calculated. Part of the reason this started in the first place is because of the fragile Russian collective ego that has been battered for several decades. If the actions of the West embarrass and mock Russia and Russians it will perpetuate the Cold War mentality and will result in another Putin (or worse).
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How this goes depends massively on what Russia does.
Anyone who forcibly replaces Putin and is willing to admit that what Russia did was wrong, is willing to scapegoat some generals maybe as "the bad leaders", they would instantly get a ton of goodwill and praise.
IF Russia would back down quickly and replace Putin, the Russians would even be given tons of kudos to helping stop the war before it got totally out of hand.
The longer they drag this on, the harder it will be string together a narrative that it was just a few bad apples at the top instead of a more or less collective action.
There's already been stories that many Russians living abroad feel watched and intimidated by sudden change of behaviour in the people around them. In many countries there are demands for driving every Russian citizen out of the country, and that sort of thing can easily create generational animosity.