Latvian MEP Discusses What Will Happen to Russia After Putin's Death (Hint – Nothing Good)

What will happen to Russia if Vladimir Putin suddenly dies? Latvian Member of the European Parliament Ivars Ijabs described a scenario of power struggle, possible changes in the war, and called the current leader a 'truly dangerous character.'

In an interview with the LETA agency, political scientist and Member of the European Parliament Ivars Ijabs reflects on the possible consequences of the sudden death of the President of Russia and how it could change the political situation both within the country and beyond.

In response to the question of what would happen if Vladimir Putin suddenly died, the Latvian politician noted that a temporary collective leadership could be established in the country. "First of all, there will be some form of collective leadership for a while, as was the case after Stalin's death and which is well depicted in the British film 'The Death of Stalin' from 2017," said Ijabs.

According to him, the current Russian power system is structured in such a way that Putin has no obvious successor: "He has created a system where he is not one of many, but stands above all at an unreachable distance."

In the context of collective leadership, the expert believes that a struggle for leadership will begin; however, some figures, such as Dmitry Medvedev, will not be able to take Putin's place. "I think that the former president and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, definitely cannot take Putin's place — that is completely out of the question." Ijabs also suggests that in the event of a change of power, Russia may become more inclined to negotiate with Ukraine.

"I think that could be the case because the start of the war was indeed a personal initiative of Putin. Accordingly, after Putin, there would be a new situation, and from Europe's side, a decision to negotiate with Russia could be more realistic."

At the same time, he emphasizes that in Europe, the attitude towards the Russian leader is extremely negative: "Currently in Europe, Putin is considered a mass murderer, which he de facto is."

The Latvian politician draws attention to the dangerous personalization of power in Russia: "As Vyacheslav Volodin said: if there is no Putin — there is no Russia. And that is very dangerous. Putin is willing to destroy the whole world to maintain his power, so he is indeed a dangerous character. Therefore, we in the West need to reckon with a very long confrontation with Russia.