Russian sociologist and blogger Igor Eidman, in an interview with UNIAN, explained why the West is slowly "suffocating" the Kremlin dictator.

"Western countries do not want to make sudden moves. I have already given this metaphor: when you enter a room, and there is a cobra, you must not make sudden movements because it can pounce and bite, bite with a nuclear weapon. You need to gently, imperceptibly press down and strangle her so that she doesn’t even have time to struggle, as your boot is already on her throat.

Western countries are slowly strangling Putin. They do not make sudden movements, as we all hoped. They do it slowly but systematically, without retreating. And the pressure is building. Help is growing, and new types of weapons are being transferred not only by the United States. Germany finally began to supply armored weapons and France.

The idea is that Putin, until the very last moment, still hopes for something. And then, when he realizes his party is lost, he will no longer have the resources for extreme actions such as unleashing a nuclear war. That is, to bring him to a situation where he reaches for the button, if he reaches for it, it turns out that the button is no longer there, and he is no longer sitting in the Kremlin ward, but some people have tied him up and are taking him to a mental hospital.

I think that this is what everything is designed for, and quite successfully because Putin is an inadequate person who is still hoping for something. What do they mean? A little more tense up, and Ukraine capitulates. This is complete nonsense, and this will never happen, but he is counting on it, and crazy Medvedev too.

Now Russian officials are divided into two categories: those who have completely lost their minds - like Putin and Medvedev, and those who sit quietly like mice, but are terribly dissatisfied, and are ready to stick a knife in the back of their "benefactor" at any moment. They simply lack the courage, resources, and, most importantly, the organization of collective action for this, because they all do not trust each other. But sooner or later, this will likely occur when they understand that they are being dragged into the abyss. Then they will try to get rid of him, as was the case with Khrushchev or Paul I, if you remember the history of Russia."