Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' - even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets | Fortune

"“The irony is that Mr. Putin started the war to preserve power and the system he has created,” the official wrote. “Now, for the first time since the conflict began, Russians are starting to imagine a future without him.”"

"In other words, Russia's elites found a subtle way to no longer express solidarity with Putin, describing what “he” does rather than what “we” do. That shift took place last spring, but does not signal a rebellion is imminent, the former official added, as the state still controls key levers of repression and fear."

"The mounting costs of Putin's war on Ukraine have contributed to the nation's shift, as Russians grapple with higher inflation, more taxes, crumbling infrastructure, tighter censorship, and myriad new restrictions. High inflation has also kept interest rates high. As companies and other borrowers struggle to service debt, defaults have climbed and warnings of a financial crisis have multiplied."

"Another factor is pushback from Russian elites, who are banned from living abroad and have lost the protection of Western laws that preserved their wealth. The former official estimated that the state has seized around $60 billion in assets from private businessmen over the past three years, either outright nationalizing their property or redistributing it to cronies."

Russians are increasingly acknowledging that Vladimir Putin has led the country to a dead end and cannot shape its future. Moscow elites, including regional governors and businessmen, have shifted language away from collective solidarity, describing what “he” does rather than what “we” do. The change began last spring and does not indicate an imminent rebellion because the state still controls repression and fear. The regime has also stopped promoting narratives of national restoration or modernization while Russia loses large amounts of blood and treasure in Ukraine. Higher inflation, taxes, crumbling infrastructure, tighter censorship, and new restrictions have worsened conditions. High interest rates have contributed to rising defaults and growing warnings of financial crisis. Elites face limits on living abroad and loss of Western legal protections for wealth, while the state has seized about $60 billion in assets from private businessmen over three years.

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