On Friday, President Vladimir Putin gathered top Russian officials for a regular meeting of the Security Council. However, the main topic was not the first foreign military invasion of Russia in 80 years, but “new technical decisions made during a special military operation.”
The Russian media also focus not so much on the invasion of Ukraine as on the topic of humanitarian aid to people affected by the events in the Kursk region. As Bloomberg notes, the Kremlin is indeed trying to give the Russians the impression that the events in the Kursk region are somehow “normal,” as if there was a large-scale flood or other natural disaster.
“The Kremlin does not want to send the message that the enemy is at the door. They don’t want to send a message about Ukraine’s strength and their weakness,” said Olga Oliker, Europe and Central Asia director of the International Crisis Group in Brussels.
The Kremlin doesn’t even seem to want to acknowledge the invasion. For example, on Monday, the Kremlin’s press service released a report that V. Putin discussed “urgent issues” with high-ranking officials regarding the “situation” on the border.
During one such meeting, which was broadcast online, Putin abruptly cut off Alexei Smirnov, acting governor of the Kursk region, as he began to describe the scale of Ukraine’s actions. He ordered the governor to focus on helping refugees and leave military assessments to the Russian Defense Ministry.
While anxiety is growing among ordinary Russians, apathy remains the dominant public reaction to the events in Kursk, said Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the St. Petersburg Policy Foundation.
“It’s anxiety, not revenge,” he said.
Sergei Markov, a political consultant close to the Kremlin, said Putin wants to reduce stress among Russians who are already unhappy that the Russian military has failed to destroy Ukraine.
“However, the government has a plan B, and if the public demands that we do everything for victory, we will mobilize,” he said.
V. Putin avoids “emotional statements to avoid having to act radically, especially in circumstances where he is not sure if he has the resources to act harshly.” In case of any crisis, he prefers to pause and wait,” said V. Vinogradov.
“Union” inf.
2024-08-19 00:13:31