They really think Putin kills everyone who is mildly rude to him despite multiple opposition groups continuing to exist. He doesn't feel threatened by them (justifiably so), so why would he kill them and give the West and domestic groups even more reason to try and put him in the dirt? He may be a capitalist ghoul, but he isn't ignorant

But of course, maintains the longstanding paternalistic worldview that everyone who isn't a white European liberal is unfit to govern