Episode Details

A prominent Russian billionaire has publicly raised concerns about the direction of the war in Ukraine. Some observers see it as evidence that support for Vladimir Putin is beginning to crack.

But the West is misreading the situation, according to veteran Russian journalist and political analyst Konstantin von Eggert.

He argues Russia's problems run far deeper than Putin himself, that oligarchs wield far less power than outsiders imagine, and that signs of frustration inside the country do not amount to a meaningful challenge to the Kremlin.

And a post-Putin Russia may not be any better, as the collapse of Putin's corrupt regime could simply pave the way for another nationalist, expansionist regime.

What's needed, according to Eggert, is a serious re-evaluation from the Russian people. One that may not come unless Russia suffers a resounding, sudden military defeat. 

In this conversation with Geraldine Doogue and Latika Bourke, Eggert explains why he believes Russia faces a profound moral crisis, what it would actually take to threaten Putin's grip on power, whether Donald Trump's evolving position on Ukraine matters, and why a post-Putin Russia may not look the way many in the West hope.

Featured: Konstantin von Eggert, journalist and political analyst, Deutsche Welle.

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