President Putin is a powerful leader in Russia, but it means literally nothing beyond the country itself. His isn’t a modern empire, just the subject of much scrutiny and a lot of oversight elsewhere. The enigma is hackable, and the mystery is only there for the uninitiated.
In the event of a prolonged downturn in his Ukraine offensive, Putin will seek advice and take it. The ‘inner circle’ model isn’t so fallacious in his respect. There’s a particular impermeability to his confines in the Kremlin, but his staff aren’t secret and even they know the truth.
The matter will be resolved by cautious conversations over lives lost, costs, and national pride. The reputation of the nation matters beyond a war for most Russians, and this will be fed back quietly. Although he’s an optimist, Putin strives for a middle road in all he does.
*A change was made to add a graphic.