If Putin Wins Ukraine, He Will Go After Other Former Soviet States, Says Russian Diplomat Who Resigned Over War

A former Russian diplomat, who resigned from his position after Moscow invaded Ukraine, said the war has led to internal turmoil that could remove Vladimir Putin from power and trigger a civil war in the country.

What Happened: The former counselor of Russia's permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Boris Bondarev, who resigned in May, in a 6,500-word article published on Foreign Affairs, criticized Putin's government. 

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Bondarev left his diplomatic role in May because he felt the war had shown how repressive and warped his country had become. He said the Russian government was full of sycophantic "yes men" that were helping Putin make big decisions in an echo chamber of his own propaganda.

"If Putin is kicked out of office, Russia's future will be deeply uncertain," Bondarev said. "It's entirely possible his successor will try to carry on the war, especially given that Putin's main advisers hail from the security services. But no one in Russia commands his stature, so the country would likely enter a period of political turbulence. It could even descend into chaos."

if Putin is not defeated in Ukraine, he will likely move on to attack other former Soviet states, Bondarev added. "If he agrees to a cease-fire, it will only be to give Russian troops a rest before continuing to fight. And if he wins in Ukraine, Putin will likely move to attack another post-Soviet state, such as Moldova, where Moscow already props up a breakaway region."

A Ukrainian official said on Monday Putin is facing severe setbacks in the Ukraine war — the ratio of losses between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the south is approximately one to 6.5.

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