Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says Putin and ruling party face growing public discontent ahead of election | Today’s news
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Sunday (local time) shared what he called the internal situation in Russia and the messages being presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a lengthy post on X, Zelenskyy said: “Thank you to all friends of Ukraine and everyone who helps us get important information and supports Ukrainian intelligence operations. Our intelligence agencies reported the results of their work to assess the internal situation in Russia and obtain documents that will end up on the desk of the Russian leader. We understand that Putin rarely receives information that is completely true and unvarnished. But even what he sees in the documents that received by him still allows for conclusions.”
Public dissatisfaction with Putin is growing: Zelenskyi
His remarks come ahead of parliamentary elections in Russia due in September. According to Zelensky, “the so-called ‘predicted indicators’ of Russian dissatisfaction with Putin will continue to rise steadily, and he is already being conditioned to accept the idea that this growing dissatisfaction cannot be stopped and that this indicator ‘will not plateau’ until September, when parliamentary elections are scheduled in Russia.”
He further noted that support for Moscow’s ruling party is witnessing a steady downward trend and that substantially greater electoral fraud will be required to ensure the party’s victory. He added: “They also report a substantial increase in protest sentiment in Russian regions. We believe that these reports also do not yet take into account the potential events of June, July and August that will have to further affect the situation in Russia.”
Ukrainian war pressure on Russia to continue
The Ukrainian president also noted that the pressure of the Ukrainian war, which has been ongoing since February 2022, will continue and intensify, adding that it will not be only from the end of Kyiv. According to Zelensky, the Russian president will witness significantly worse indicators by September.
He added that while Kiev has made several public and private peace proposals to end the war, the only response Moscow has issued is to continue the war.
The Ukrainian president repeated the call for peace and an end to the war, noting that the internal situation in Moscow should convince Putin that peace is needed. He went on to say that if downward trends continue, a peace deal could be struck with someone else from Moscow, suggesting the Russians could choose a leader other than Putin.
The Russian economy is hanging in the balance
As Russia continues its war in Ukraine, a BBC report earlier this year suggested Moscow’s economy was hanging in the balance. Amidst economic stagnation and recession, many Russians have seen their monthly grocery spending skyrocket. Prices for everyday essentials including eggs, chicken cutlets and seasonal vegetables have risen sharply in supermarkets across the country.
The report indicated that prices have risen significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine, driven by a federal budget dominated by the war effort and the defense industry, which has led to rapid economic growth and increased living standards across the country.
In addition, the recent slowdown in the Russian economy suggests that it is at risk of going into the red, and one of the main risks is likely to come from the oil market.
