As the three experts wrote, "key decisions have to be made this year, the earlier the better, in order to put the war on a more positive trajectory." The failures of the Ukrainian counteroffensive set the stage for renewed Russian offensives in eastern Ukraine, which kicked off in October and focused heavily around the city of Avdiivka. While Moscow has suffered heavy losses during its ongoing assault both in manpower and in armored vehicles its forces continue to advance, making small territorial gains. Russia is pushing in various other sectors of the front as well. With fortified defenses though, Ukraine could seriously complicate these efforts. As of time of writing, at least 86 journalists, reporters and media figures, mainly from independent outlets, as well as the BBC, had signed a petition condemning Russias operation in Ukraine.

• The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is holding a two-day hearing on Russias record on the treatment of children.
• In 2010, with the election of Viktor Yanukovych, Russian attitudes toward Ukraine dramatically improved, doubling to a 70 percent approval rating.
• A few years ago, Tape helped start the Arctic Beaver Observation Network, so scientists all around the Arctic could collaborate and share data.
• Airfares were growing each time I refreshed the page and having reached the figure of 300,000 rubles ($4,000), I understood that an alternative was needed and bought bus tickets to Tbilisi with my girl from Moscow for 5,000 rubles ($66) each.

And as Russia's war in Ukraine continues, the U.S. and other Western allies are hitting it with more economic sanctions. Volkov found that some 80% of respondents do support the military, but that group is by no means a monolith. He says about 50% have "definite support" without any qualms, but the other 30% have support with reservations.

Volkov adds that public opinion matters, even though the Russian government isn't taking the public's pulse in order to plan its next moves. He says officials are instead monitoring the situation to make sure that it's "under control." Russia-based research outfits such as the Levada Center have been able to maintain some independence, but face higher rates of non-response. Many ordinary Russians decline to participate in polling for fear of government retributionand those who do are likely to indicate higher levels of support for Putin for the same reason, Botchkovar says. Additionally, data suggests that up to 30% of Russians say theyre not closely following the situation in Ukraine, she says. But https://bagge-albrechtsen.mdwrite.net/could-an-end-to-the-war-in-ukraine-be-in-sight with measuring public opinion in a country under authoritarian rule and censorship, Botchkovar says, is that the data are highly imperfect.

Kremlin: We have no idea how Trump could stop the war

I really cannot understand why Russians dont have the right to eat in McDonalds. Of course, that may be a strange example, but I just mean those of us who are against war still suffer from it. Its hard to differentiate global problems from everyday ones, as you can see.

• The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep.
• Sectors of the economy necessary for war effortsare working at maximum capacity,and wages in these sectors havedoubled.
• After graduating from the University of Liverpool he wrote for a number of British publications before joining AS USA in 2020.
• Also, prices for some ordinary things, like cosmetics and food, have doubled, but in many cases, we have no alternative because there are no factories here that produce those products.
• US intelligence has for months warned that Russia would seek to fabricate a major pretext before launching an invasion of Ukraine.
• To them, inflation is a more pressing issue than the war, even though most Russians do not see a link between military spending and its impact on everyday life.

While the defence alliance, Nato, and the US warn of an imminent invasion, many people are still unconvinced that war will happen or that it would be to Russia's advantage. But ordinary Russians, many of whom get their information from state-controlled television which repeats many of the Kremlin's lines, are expected to start noticing differences to their lives soon. Standing at one queue in Moscow, Evgeny (name changed), 45, said he wanted to withdraw money to pay off his mortgage. "I also couldn't pay in a shop today - for the same reason."

Strict censorship and state propaganda

Russian authorities designated Mediazona as a "foreign agent" in 2021 and blockedits website in 2022 due to its coverage of the war against Ukraine. Images on social media have shown long queues forming at ATMs and money exchanges around the country in recent days, with people worried their bank cards may stop working or that limits will be placed on the amount of cash they can withdraw. Yet Volkov added that this tolerance, however passive, is likely to remain quite stable, even strong. If I watched different channels, I would probably have a different opinion, but I dont watch them, she said. Its not that she doesnt know alternative information is out there, but that she doesnt want it, lest her vision of the world come under threat. Its not about having to reconsider this one event but everything you thought and understood over the last ten or fifteen years, Volkov told me.