Is Putin losing the Russians?

Well-known activist predicts: "The mood will change"

Created: 02/27/2022, 23:18

By: Florian Naumann

Vladimir Putin on a visit to the Russian Space Center in Moscow on Sunday.

© Sergey Guneev/www.imago-images.de

Vladimir Putin brings suffering to Ukraine - and worries the world.

But does the mood in Russia hold up?

A well-known activist is very skeptical.

Moscow/Munich - The Ukraine war has been raging with undiminished severity since Thursday - news about fighting in Ukraine also dominated the news at the weekend.

But Russia does not appear to be progressing at the expected pace.

One possible hope, also in Germany, is that Vladimir Putin may have miscalculated.

An important question here: Will the Russian president retain the support of politicians and the population in his own country, even in the face of possible losses?

Human rights activist Irina Scherbakowa from the Memorial organization, which has since been banned in Russia, is at least skeptical.

At the same time, she sees domestic political motives behind Putin's invasion, as she

explained in an interview with the

Ukraine war: Putin soon under pressure in Russia - "People will understand"

Scherbakova gave an insight into the mood in Moscow.

Most people seemed "indifferent" to galloping prices, inflation and the coronavirus pandemic, she explained.

However, the euphoric effect observed in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea did not materialize.

At the same time, due to the media situation in Russia, the majority of people believe that Ukraine is responsible.

"But surveys like those of the independent Levada Center show that the population is very afraid of armed conflicts," objected Scherbakova.

"I think the mood will change," she said in the interview.

This also includes “that people will understand that it is a bloody war against a brother nation”.

In many cities, young people in particular have already taken to the streets - despite the risk of arrest and physical violence.

The sanctions, such as the ban on Russia from the Swift system, could soon be felt.

Putin's Ukraine staging: "Your fear was palpable and everyone should feel it"

Sherbakova did not see much support for the invasion among top Russian politicians either.

A TV broadcast in which the members of the Russian Security Council presented arguments for an invasion was clearly described as a staging and a demonstration of power by Putin.

"Their fear was palpable and everyone should feel it," she said, looking at the speakers.

It was a warning “to anyone whose loyalty suddenly seemed inadequate.

A signal to everyone who can be counted among the elite in a broader sense".

The Russian Germanist and cultural scientist Irina Scherbakowa.

© Mike Wolff/TSP/Imago

The human rights activist also expressed a thesis on the background to Putin's actions.

"People's approval is sought by invoking external enemies" - also because the Russian government is not in a position to "improve the real situation in the country".

In an interview with Merkur.de, an expert recently commented on Putin's motives.

Defense expert Carlo Masala underscored the thesis of dwindling support in Russia in the ARD “Tagesthemen”.

Against this background, the announcement of Putin's increased readiness for a nuclear strike should also be understood: It was an "attempt to turn the tide," said the professor at the Bundeswehr University in Munich.

NATO does not have to respond to this signal at the moment.

Russia in the Ukraine conflict: More than 2,000 arrests during protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg

The dangers of civil society action for the Russian population were also evident at the weekend.

More than 2,000 people were arrested during anti-government protests in Russia on Sunday.

People took to the streets in several cities both against the war in Ukraine and in memory of the Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered seven years ago.

The civil rights

counted 993 arrests in Moscow alone and 632 more in St. Petersburg by the evening.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Nemtsov was shot dead near the Kremlin on February 27, 2015.

The assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin's opponent still raises many questions.

The EU has repeatedly urged Russia to further investigate the case.

Many people in Russia are also shocked by their own country's war against Ukraine.

However, the Russian security forces are brutally cracking down on demonstrators in many places.

The Russian authorities warn against taking part in the unauthorized rallies.

There were also protests in Germany on Sunday.

In Berlin, well over 100,000 people took to the streets against the Ukraine war.

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