Originally Posted by
WideScreen
I think, this is a very good analysis.
Use all the Western located old-style Russian military equipment in Ukraine to exhaust and deplete the Russian army.
And a great opportunity for those countries which supply this legacy Soviet kit to get their hands on some decent American seconds, if not new kit.
Potentially even take-over Moscow itself. Roll up Belarus and bring a democracy there, the people want it (in contrast to all the other Western invasions in ME/NA).
Err, not sure that would be the wisest of moves
Putin did pull that much power to himself, there will be nobody "in-charge", when Putin dies (see the plans to have the FSB head temporary replace Putin during his surgery, instead of the legal required prime minister). As such, after Putin, nobody will be prepared to push the Nukes button (apart from the manual background process involved to extend the button push into a missile launch also refusing to act).
There are plenty of people waiting in the wings who outwardly seem willing to out-Putin Putin, to demonstrate their credentials to the Russian people (Patrushev amongst them). Unfortunately the problem isn't just one man.