In Russia, public weariness with the war against Ukraine is growing, and official propaganda is increasingly losing citizens’ trust.
Putin / © Associated Press
Even staunch supporters of Russian aggression against Ukraine are finding it increasingly difficult to explain why the war continues, and Russian society places less and less trust in the Kremlin’s official narratives.
This is reported in his author’s article for The Atlantic by American journalist Simon Shuster.
In the material, the author analyzes in detail the role of Russian neo-Nazi Alexander Dugin, often called “Putin’s brain.” For many years, he has sought to create an ideological basis for Russian expansion and war against Ukraine. At the same time, Dugin’s recent public appearances, according to the journalist, demonstrate his inability to offer a convincing explanation for the continuation of the war.
In particular, during one of his recent interviews, Dugin attempted to answer the question of what Russia should continue to fight for. Instead, he described the country’s future as a society that would return to a rural way of life after a massive outflow of people from cities. According to him, large cities should turn into ruins, and people should live in small, isolated communities.
As Shuster notes, such statements starkly contrast with the reality of the war and the expectations of most Russians. Meanwhile, an increasing number of Russian citizens are directly facing the consequences of the hostilities – from drone attacks on Russian cities to significant losses on the front lines, the scale of which is becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.
The journalist also cites the words of Russian opposition journalist Mikhail Zygar, who studies the sentiments of representatives of the Russian political elite. According to his assessment, the position of many influential figures in Russia has significantly changed recently.
If previously the opinion that victory must be achieved at all costs dominated among them, now calls to end the war due to the lack of prospects for its successful continuation are heard more and more often.
“Everyone is extremely exhausted. There is no one left who wants the war to continue, except, perhaps, Putin and Dugin,” says Zygar.
According to Shuster, against the backdrop of Russia’s military setbacks, the popularity of state television is declining, while social networks are gradually becoming the main source of information for many Russians. It is there that discussions about the need to stop the war or revise the Kremlin’s policy are increasingly appearing.
Meanwhile, even Dugin himself has recently begun to openly express doubts about Russia’s future. At the end of May, he warned of the risk of defeat in the war.
“With the current elites, our chances are critically low not only of achieving victory but even of simply keeping the country whole,” he wrote in his post.
The journalist paid special attention to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. While before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the forum was attended by leaders of the world’s leading countries, this year, among the heads of state, there were only the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania.
In the author’s opinion, this has become another testament to the Kremlin’s international isolation.
In conclusion, Shuster notes that over the years of the full-scale war, the Russian authorities have not been able to clearly explain the purpose and expected outcome of the war to their own citizens. Despite the attempts of dictator Putin and Kremlin ideologists to hide the public’s weariness of the war, these sentiments are becoming increasingly noticeable.
Earlier, it was reported that dictator Putin’s refusal of personal negotiations with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy resulted in a new reputational blow for the Kremlin.
We previously informed that the military command of the aggressor Russian Federation is not providing dictator Putin with accurate intelligence data about the real situation on the battlefield.
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