Will Russians continue to support Putin’s war in Ukraine?
Western officials worry openly that there are no clear off-ramps to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With a protracted and even deadlier war looking ever more likely, will Russians tolerate the invasion’s increasing costs? Or will Vladimir Putin, a highly popular autocratic leader for 20-plus years, lose ordinary Russians’ support?
As Putin massed a large invasion force at the Ukrainian border in late 2021, polls showed that less than 1 in 10 Russians believed Moscow “should send military forces to fight against Ukrainian government troops”. By mid-February, as the Russian military staged massive exercises, another poll — framing the use of force as an effort to repel Ukraine’s NATO aspirations — found that 1 in 2 Russians believed force would be justified.… Seguir leyendo »