Pressures and Risks
Instead of using the annual Valdai forum to explain Russia to international experts and journalists, President Putin made it a platform for expressing and spreading his worldview. Russia is criticizing the current global leadership model and the US for being irresponsible with its global power.
The Russian Parliament passed in the first reading a draft law aimed at compensating the country’s companies and individuals damaged by foreign sanctions. Although largely believed not to be in frequent use, the measure is seen as yet another reassurance to Kremlin allies that they will not be left alone if they suffer losses because of their loyalty to Russia’s leadership.
The Russian opposition seems almost extinct as one of its most prominent leaders, Alexey Navalny, is under yet another criminal investigation, and his allies are being forced to flee the country. However, with economic challenges ahead, the ruling elite is still trying to silence what is left of the opposition to prevent it from using this crisis time to win support.
Although the Russian audience reports a significant increase in access to the international media, it has not resulted in greater trust in Western critics of the Russian leadership. People who receive information from the foreign media are reporting exactly the same low level of regard for Putin’s critics as people who do not receive it.
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