“Guardian” – the hardships of war cooled passions in Russia – World

TO it is possible that Vladimir Putin’s military failure in Ukraine leaves him vulnerable to political opposition in Russia, the British newspaper “The Guardian” wrote in an editorial.

Russia is losing the war in Ukraine, what will Putin do?

The failure of Putin’s original plans for Ukraine is so great that it is now unclear what exactly Russia continues to fight for, other than to spare its president the humiliation of admitting defeat. After the Kremlin’s push for territorial gains was thwarted, Russian forces began terrorizing civilians and damaging Ukrainian infrastructure. The plan is to leave Ukraine in cold and dark winter, and this will break the will of Ukrainians to resist, notes the “Guardian”.

Is Ukraine transferring the war to Russian territory?

However, there is no indication that this strategy is working. Putin’s failure to understand that Ukraine is a proud and independent country ready to fight back is the fundamental flaw of his war. In addition, the Russian president misjudged his people’s attitude towards the war. In the first weeks of the war, Russian state channels easily stoked warmongering sentiments. However, the hardships of war cooled passions, and the announcement of mobilization in September reduced enthusiasm to a minimum. However, this does not mean that citizens are rioting en masse against the authorities. Dissent in Russia is silenced by fear and a habit of loyalty to the authorities in times of crisis, underlines the British newspaper.

The Manipulated People: Why Russians Trust Putin

However, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the mobilization. Those who fled may even outnumber those who were successfully mobilized (authorities are not releasing exact figures). Many of those mobilized expressed their indignation that they were not provided with the necessary equipment, that they were not trained and that their deployment was futile. People who consider themselves cannon fodder cannot be motivated soldiers. Videos have circulated on the Internet in which they talk about their misfortunes. Similar confusion emanates from official channels, but through them it takes the form of increasingly loud calls for the destruction of Ukraine, imbued with contempt for military commanders who seem unable to cope with the task. Putin himself is not yet the object of criticism, but the myth of his power and common sense of him has been seriously shaken, writes the Guardian.

When the Ground Freezes in Ukraine: Who Will Prevail in the Winter Phase of the War

It is difficult to accurately gauge public sentiment in a semi-totalitarian regime, but there are indications that people are already war-weary. A confidential survey commissioned by a Russian civilian service leaked to the media last week shows that 25% of respondents want the military campaign to continue and 55% want peace talks. By comparison, in February, the invasion of Ukraine enjoyed the support of 80% of the population. There are also indications that the Kremlin is losing complete control over the information field. Russians are currently the largest users of online services that can be used to bypass Internet censorship. In addition, Russian communities abroad provide their compatriots with more truthful information about what is happening in Ukraine than the media in Russia.

Lavrov: Do you remember how the US bombed Iraq and NATO bombed Belgrade

It would be premature to imagine that Putin’s position has been seriously weakened. He has the levers of coercion to compensate for waning enthusiasm. The signs of vulnerability are encouraging, however, reflecting the interest among Russians both in Russia and abroad for a different kind of politics. Cultivating this interest, providing aid to the exiles and highlighting the fact that the Russian people and the Russian criminal leadership are not the same will be increasingly important in the coming months and years. Although Putin’s defeat in Ukraine is a strategic and moral imperative for European democracies and the prospect of normalizing relations with Moscow seems remote, this idea should not be abandoned altogether. To have a practical basis, dissent in Russia needs to be nurtured, wherever it occurs, concludes the Guardian.