Ukrainian President on Sunday (local time) shared what he called the internal situation in Russia and the reports that are being shown to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a lengthy post on X, Zelenskyy said, “I thank all friends of Ukraine and everyone who helps us obtain important information and supports Ukrainian intelligence operations. Our intelligence agencies reported on the results of their work to assess the internal situation in Russia and obtain documents that end up on the Russian leader’s desk. We understand that Putin rarely receives information that is entirely truthful and unvarnished. But even what he sees in the documents that reach him still allows conclusions to be drawn.”
Public dissatisfaction grows against Putin: Zelenskyy
His remarks come ahead of parliamentary elections in , scheduled to take place in September. According to Zelenskyy, “the so-called ‘projected indicators’ of Russians’ 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’ by 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 significantly greater electoral fraud will be required to ensure the party’s victory. He added, “They are also reporting a substantial rise in protest sentiment in Russian regions. We believe these reports also do not yet take into account the potential events of June, July, and August, which are bound to further affect the situation in Russia.”
Ukraine war pressure on Russia to continue
The also noted that the pressure of the Ukraine war, which has been ongoing since February 2022, will continue and intensify, adding that it will not just be from Kyiv’s end. According to Zelenskyy, by September, the Russian President will be witnessing significantly worse indicators.
He added that while Kyiv has made several public and non-public peace proposals to end the war, the only response that Moscow has issued is to continue the .
Reiterating a call for peace and an end to the war, the Ukrainian President noted that the internal situation in Moscow should convince Putin that peace is needed. He further said that if the downward trends continue, a peace agreement might be reached with someone else from Moscow, indicating that the Russians might select a different leader from Putin.
Russian economy hangs in the balance
As Russia continues with its war in Ukraine, a BBC report earlier this year suggested that Moscow’s hangs in the balance. Amid economic stagnation and decline, many Russians have experienced a sharp increase in their monthly grocery expenses. Prices for everyday essentials, including eggs, chicken fillets, and seasonal vegetables, have risen significantly in supermarkets across the country.
The report suggested that prices have risen significantly since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, driven by a federal budget dominated by the war effort and the defence industry, which has led to rapid economic growth and raised the standard of living across the country.
Additionally, the recent slowdown in the Russian economy indicates that it is at risk of going into the red, and one of the main risks is likely to come from the oil market.
