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5. “They started the war”.
Putin also attempted to explain why Russia went to war in Ukraine. “I want to repeat: they started the war, and we used and continue to use force to stop them,” the president said. He accused the “Kyiv regime” of trying to obtain nuclear weapons and alleged that NATO and the U.S. were preparing an “enslaved” Ukraine for a “major war.”Putin did not specify the aims of the war, nor the definition of victory. However, his speeches make it clear that the war is the new normal and a permanent reality for Russian society, journalist Maxim Trudolyubov said. The war is now presented as a way to get a worthwhile job with decent pay (the authorities promise that contracted servicemen can earn at least 195,000 rubles, or $2,565, per month, several times higher than the average Russian salary), and there is now a provision for statutory leave as required. In his speech, Putin pledged to give serving military at least 14 days’ leave every six months.
In Putin’s opinion, there is no longer any way back for Russia because the West is seeking to spiritually destroy the Russian world and deploying “aggressive sanctions,” said political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya. The Russian president made it clear in his speech that the war will be long, but that it can never end with a Russian defeat, she added.
This article first appeared in The Bell
2.14 Putin & government’s popularity
48 RUSSIA Country Report March 2023 www.intellinews.com