Why Russians stay silent about the Ukraine war: Expert reveals real reason
Photo: Expert explains why Russians stay silent about the war in Ukraine (Getty Images)
Russians rarely express their position on the war in Ukraine due to what experts call passive loyalty. Most citizens simply support whatever the authorities say and avoid showing any active civic stance, according to an RBC-Ukraine article, "Kremlin's double game: How Russia sells peace to US while prepping Russians for war."
According to political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, Russians exhibit a form of passive loyalty.
They support whatever the leadership says. They don’t like the war; they want it to end, but the war does not directly affect them.
“Therefore, they will support any decision made by their leadership. So Russians do not have a unified view or a single position here. But unfortunately, public opinion in Russia does not matter,” Fesenko said.
Russia’s war against Ukraine
As is known, Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine since February 24, 2022. The conflict enjoys strong public support in Russia: according to a Levada Center poll, approval stands around 75%, with three-quarters of the population supporting the war as of April.
The Russian leadership has repeatedly declared readiness to end the war but has insisted on conditions unacceptable to Ukraine — in particular, the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
On December 2, in Moscow, Russian leader Vladimir Putin met with US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The meeting reportedly lasted around five hours.
The media noted that Putin arrived approximately 2.5 hours late. During the talks, they discussed a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, developed after consultations between Ukrainian and American delegations in Florida on November 30. The plan includes 28 points.
After the meeting, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said the parties had not yet reached a compromise on the plan.
According to him, the most important issues remain the territories, which hold significant importance for both Russia and the United States.
Meanwhile, Russian Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev described the meeting as “productive.”
Recently, the Kremlin leader cynically stated that Russia will “by any means” seize Donbas, as well as southern and eastern regions of Ukraine.
