The key facts
- John Bolton gave an interview to pranksters Vovan and Lexus, believing he was speaking with foreign officials.
- According to him, Putin's position in power has become stronger, and the likelihood of a force scenario is extremely low.
- Bolton doubted that the Wildberries warehouses were a military target for Ukrainian attacks.
Bolton Assessed Russia's Domestic Political Situation
Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton assessed Russia's domestic political situation in a conversation with Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov (Vovan) and Alexei Stolyarov (Lexus). Confident that he was speaking with high-ranking foreign officials, he admitted that, despite external pressure, Vladimir Putin's position has noticeably strengthened. “Therefore, I think, unfortunately, that Putin's position in power has become stronger,” Bolton said.
On a Possible Transfer of Power
Discussing hypothetical mechanisms of power transfer, Bolton noted that the only real force that could theoretically oppose the leadership would be the army or security services. However, he called the likelihood of a military coup or a force scenario extremely low.
Sentiments in Society
Bolton also mentioned a certain discontent among the civilian population of Russia over the past six months, but stated that these factors do not affect the overall stability of the system.
Opinion on the Wildberries Warehouses
In addition, Bolton doubted that the Wildberries warehouses, which were hit by Ukrainian attacks, could be considered military targets. He suggested that Kiev sought not so much to hit military facilities as to make Russians feel the consequences of the conflict.
