Putin hosted leaders of most of his former Soviet neighbors for the World War II commemoration events Tuesday, including the heads of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. That marked one of the largest turnouts in recent years.
Around Russia, scattered drone, sabotage and other attacks in recent months have fueled doubts about the Kremlin’s ability to continue to insulate most of the population from the impact of a conflict it still refuses to call a war. Russia also blamed Ukraine for a car bombing that injured a writer known for his support of the invasion.
Governors in nearly two dozen Russian regions, including a few in Siberia, far from the conflict zone, canceled plans for parades fireworks and other holiday celebrations. Some cited security concerns, while others blamed “moral-ethical” issues given the ongoing war.
Over the last year, Ukraine has driven Russian troops out of many of the areas they once occupied. The Kremlin has largely scrapped plans for its own offensive at the moment, instead shoring up its lines in hopes of preventing Kyiv’s forces from breaking through in the coming weeks and months.
Just over 50% of Russians support starting peace talks, according to a recent poll by the independent Levada Center, while 38% favor continuing the military operation.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed that Russian forces would be defeated just as Nazi ones were. He proposed shifting the Victory Day celebrations to May 8, in line with countries across Europe.
Source- Hindustan Times.