Ex-CIA Chief: Putin May Be Eliminated

• 3.04.2023, 11:55

The head of the Kremlin is now in a no-win situation.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may be killed to end the war against Ukraine, former CIA chief James Olson has said.

In an interview with British tabloid The Sun, he said that if Putin remains in power, he will never stop the war and therefore the way to end it is to kill him or overthrow him.

"Things are not going well at all. I believe Putin is now in a no-win situation. If Putin stays in power, there will be a long war because he won't quit - but I don't think Putin will stay in power. I think he will be removed from power or he will be assassinated. I wouldn't rule out assassination. I think it's likely that some patriotic Russians will decide they need to eliminate Putin. And that would be the end of the war," said the former CIA chief.

Olson reminded that Russia is suffering enormous losses in the war against Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian authorities, they already exceed 170,000.

"I believe there are generals who are disgusted by this tragic loss of life, and they will become a possible source of rebellion against Putin. And if they do, I see Putin as a walking dead man. He won't survive that. I think the elimination of Putin is more likely than a military defeat," said the former US counterintelligence chief.

He also warned that as long as the Russian dictator remains in power, there is an "extraordinary risk" that the war could extend beyond Ukraine.

"If the war is not stopped because Putin is removed, it could easily spread all over the place. We know that Putin's regional ambitions have been to consolidate control over eastern Ukraine, including taking over Moldova, which is a target. The world should know that Moldova is in great danger," Olson concluded.