Imagining a Victory
Russia’s announcement of a troop withdrawal from Syria after an alleged victory is both a domestic and international move. The domestic audience can now celebrate victory and feel relieved that the campaign will not last forever. Meanwhile, internationally, it sends a signal that Russia is willing to de-escalate the conflict, especially with Turkey. However, there is still sufficient force left to restore the airbase to its full capacity.
The Presidential Administration reconfigured the Central Electoral Committee to bring in new people who have a perfect reputation, in order to help legitimize the upcoming 2016 parliamentary and 2018 presidential elections.
Russia refused to participate in the nuclear security summit, both to demonstrate its dissatisfaction with the summit preparation process and to show its confidence in international affairs overall.
Two years after the annexation of the Crimean peninsula, Russians are overwhelmingly positive about its becoming part of their country. Regardless of education level or where they live, Russians think positively about Crimea.
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