Putin - Who Claims To Be A Tough Guy - Fears Assassination Attempts

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin apparently fears for his life outside of his country.

The Russian authoritarian won't travel to the G20 in Indonesia next week out of fears that he will get wiped off the face of the Earth by his enemies.

"The reasons as to why Putin is not going to G20 are serious. There is a big possibility of an assassination attempt on Putin from the special services of the U.S., Britain and Ukraine," Russian political strategist and Putin adviser Sergey Markov claimed, according to The Independent.

Will Russian leader Vladimir Putin be replaced? (Photo by MIKHAIL TERESHCHENKO/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Does the excuse make sense for Putin?

The decision from Putin certainly comes at an interesting time. The war in Ukraine is going terrible for the Russian forces, the world continues to be united against his regime and internal strife is only getting worse.

There's serious speculation hardliners in his own government might want to make a switch. If that happens, the war in Ukraine would only escalate. The problem between him and the hardliners isn't that he's fighting in Ukraine. It's that the war isn't brutal enough.

Vladimir Putin fears foreign assassination atttempts. (Photo by Sergei GUNEYEV / Sputnik / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI GUNEYEV/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

So, is he afraid of the United States killing him or is he afraid that leaving the country could result in a coup attempt? Remember, Mikhail Gorbachev was on vacation when a coup attempt was launched against him. Generally speaking, attempted overthrows don't happen while the leader is in his usual position of power.

Coups go down when there's an absence and an opening to grab strategic locations. It's highly-unlikely America or any other western country would assassinate Putin. The risk would be huge, and that could actually start a nuclear war.

Is it possible Russian hardliners could attempt something if he left the country? I'd say that's much more likely than an assassination attempt by Ukraine, the USA or England.

The war in Ukraine isn't going well for Russia. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Of course, Putin has nobody but himself to blame for his problems. It turns out getting bogged down in an unjustified war is a very popular move. Whoever could have seen that coming? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, Vlad. Enjoy the Russian winter.