Ukraine war: Why so many Russians turn a blind eye to the conflict

· 4 min read
Ukraine war: Why so many Russians turn a blind eye to the conflict

Russia's warnings to the West against arming Ukraine  have gone unheeded, with Western assurances of support "for as long as it takes" and pledges that Nato will never be divided. Forced into further retreats from Kharkiv in the north-east and Kherson in the south, that aim remains unchanged, but it has shown little success in achieving it. For years, the Russian president has denied Ukraine its own statehood, writing in a lengthy 2021 essay that "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" dating back to the late 9th Century. After a series of humiliating retreats, his initial invasion plan has clearly failed, but Russia's war is far from over. "People in Europe won't see any benefit if Moscow receives a pass from Brussels in the form of negativity towards Ukraine. Putin will surely use this against you personally, and against all of Europe," Mr Zelensky said via videolink. "Excuse my vulgarity, but everything is being brought in as a freebie. But those freebies could run out at some point. And it seems that they are gradually running out."

what russians think about ukraine

Because of everything escalating so rapidly, I’m anxious about whether I’ll have issues renewing it due to me being Russian. There aren’t long lines at ATMs any more, but we saw them a few days ago. Right now, we cannot withdraw other currencies at ATMs until September. And we’re seeing products disappear from shelves – rice, flour, sugar, canned food – but I guess that’s really just because of mass panic.

Elsewhere on the BBC

“My father has a very strange position – it seems that he simultaneously supports and does not support the special military operation. Overall, he’s always had nationalist views, so it’s not surprising. I haven’t lived with my parents for many years, but even if I did, I wouldn’t argue with them, because it’s their business what to think. The early polls can be treated, like surveys elsewhere, as genuine signals of Russian public opinion.

  • I’m against the war, and most of my friends and people I know feel the same way.
  • Russian air defences have prevented a drone attack on an oil refinery in the city of Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow, the regional governor has said.
  • This apocalyptic narrative sets up Ukraine as the site of this great battle.
  • Overall, he’s always had nationalist views, so it’s not surprising.

Mr Zelenskyy has called for public officials to disclose their incomes to increase transparency and eliminate corruption as Ukraine tries to meet the stringent requirements for its bid to join the European Union. Meanwhile,  https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-is-china-saying-about-ukraine.html 's Russia expert, Nandan Unnikrishnan, said India was unlikely to sign "any major military deal" with Russia because it would cross a red line with the US. The sources said India would act carefully in order to avoid pushing Russia closer to China. "A frank and constructive dialogue is expected to improve relations between states," the Ukrainian president's office said on its official channel on the Telegram messaging app alongside a photo of Mr Szijjarto, Mr Kuleba and Mr Yermak. Hungary previously said it would block further financial aid to Ukraine, but this morning suggested it was ready to compromise after the EU reportedly drew up plans to hit Budapest's economy. If the US abandons the military alliance, it will fall to European countries to ensure a Ukrainian victory, Mr OBrien says.

What Russians think of the war in Ukraine, according to an independent pollster

Many who study and report on Russia, me included, believe a small percentage of people actively support the war, and a small percentage actively oppose it. One local family visiting St Petersburg were shocked to find nothing had changed while their own lives had been turned upside down. He said the situation generally is "not looking good for Ukraine", as it deals with shortages of ammunition, low morale among its troops and continued attacks by Russia on its infrastructure.

You don’t know when your friends and family will be taken away for mobilisation. I’m afraid they will announce a full mobilisation and take everyone. Russian forces may try to push again along the entire front, at least to secure all of the Donbas region.

The prime minister wants to know what the former defence chief believes is the best option. Already residents in Moscow are reporting some queues in food stores as people buy goods they think will be in short supply due to price rises or trade restrictions. The Kremlin has said Russia expected these latest sanctions and is ready for them, although it has not said whether businesses will be given extra help, as they were during the pandemic.

I asked him how he felt about the notion of justifiable hatred in the context of Ukraine. Even so, the messages made for some jarring moments for some of those present, featuring as they often did ultra-patriotic and sometimes militaristic declarations. Many of the  Ukrainian writers at the forum also expressed similar sentiments.

  • That means they're on conflicting sides — and feel the shunning of Russia most of all.
  • A couple walk in front of the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower and St Basil's cathedral in downtown Moscow.
  • According to recent opinion polls, conducted by pollsters such as the Levada Centre which has offices in Moscow, 70-75% of respondents in Russia support the war with Ukraine.
  • It sparked a conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists, which has seen casualties on both sides.
  • "Was Putin really going to start a war with Ukraine?" he asked.

“For example, a person says, 'I support,' but then researchers will follow up with questions to determine if they are ready to go to war, ready to donate to the Russian army or expect benefits from a possible victory," Koneva explained. In a written response to questions, she said that despite the self-censorship, pollsters "can usually have higher confidence in the reliability of poll findings that show some fluctuation over time." Vladimir Putin’s Russia has sharply constricted the space for free expression in recent years, but some independent pollsters who fled the country have not abandoned their work. Ukrainians held a positive view of the Russian people throughout this period and only turned against the Russian state and its president in 2014 in response to Putin’s aggression. As Bekeshkina has written, “In getting Crimea, Putin has lost Ukraine.” Putin’s war will only end when this fact is finally realized in Moscow.