Russia political, pandemic update: Fasten seatbelts securely…
Public sentiment didn’t change much in April as the Russian authorities continued to enjoy strong popular support. Even though the economic statistics for April were not yet published as of these polls, it seems that the economy continued to adapt gradually to the new reality, and the majority of Russians didn’t have much against the way it continues to evolve. The ruble remained relatively stable, and one of the most remarkable changes is that people, in general, do not care as much about the ruble exchange rate as in the past, especially if it concerns “toxic” currencies, such as the dollar and the euro. The majority of Russian society fully buys the official explanation that the military operation was a pre-emptive measure to stop NATO’s expansion, which was always seen as a threat given its track record in Iraq, Serbia, Libya, Syria, i.e., in countries that in principle couldn’t create any threat to the US or the EU.
Recent months showed that one cannot expect any talks between Russia and the West on security issues in the foreseeable future—possibly for generations. It looks as though the level of mutual mistrust, intolerance, and disrespect exceeds that seen during the Cold War. It seems that while being engaged in the current standoff, participants forgot one simple rule— there will be no winners among those directly involved in military action. There will only be losers—some will lose less and others will lose more. The winners will be among those who stand aside and watch the performance from a distance, if the situation allows such positioning.
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