This is a bold call, but if I had to come down on one side I think you’re right.
I think even yesterday I would've laughed at anyone making such a prediction but the events of the last 24 h have laid some glaring truths out for the world to see:
- Belarus going back on the nuclear non-proliferation agreement (or whatever it is) was one hell of a escalation.
- putin himself waving the nuke card is an act of absolute desperation.
- the extent to which European allies and the US included have ratcheted up sanctions and materiel support for Ukraine makes it ever more likely resistance will become more resolute, not less. Putin can't afford victory anymore, let alone defeat.
I cant see him succeeding given those events, nor can he afford to suffer the loss of face and reprisals of further escalation. Going the route of WMDs means sorties of US aircraft over the urals for targeted strikes or outright Armageddon.
Pulling back now and suffering the sanctions he has reaped upon Russia makes it implausible his cabal of oligarchs will countenance their loss of influence (to say nothing of the impact to their fortunes) on the world stage. Being a prince of a smoldering crater is not something they will tolerate. The business calculus is very clear here. First one to turn the knives inward will immediately gain political goodwill from Russian citizens and give the larger worldwide economic community a path to immediately revert sanctions as a carrot and foster rehabilitation into the worldwide financial system. That in and of itself will restore a significant chunk of the fortunes of the oligarchs, and lessen the burden on the citizenry.
I see literally no one in Russia that won't be better off with putin dead...save for maybe a handful of his closest asviswrs/confidants/cronies.
A nation of chess players must merely be waiting for their opening at this point.