Let us suppose that the current Russian regime collapses, with or without a Ukrainian military victory to give it a final shove. Who would be the least objectionable candidate to take over in Moscow?
What we should look for, in this exercise, is not necessarily the kindest individual, but the one with the firmest grasp of reality. What makes the current regime so dangerous is precisely the fact that most of its members are to a greater or lesser degree unhinged, as quickly becomes evident when you review their public statements.
Start with Vladimir Putin himself. Not only did he launch his invasion of Ukraine last year in complete ignorance of the victim's ability and willingness to resist -- he expected three days to crush the Ukrainian resistance and then a victory parade in Kyiv -- but from the start he saw them in purely stereotypical terms.
