JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin Has a Patriotism Problem. [Interview with Masha Lipman]” – The New Yorker
“The Kremlin depends on ‘passive loyalty’ from the Russian public. What if winning the war in Ukraine demands something more?”
“It has been more than a hundred days since Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine. … [T]he Ukrainians — armed by the United States and Europe — have fought back ferociously and repelled assaults on several key cities. … Russia has … made gains in eastern Ukraine, despite suffering military setbacks elsewhere. Facing heavy sanctions … Putin now must adjust his goals in Ukraine, given that a full-scale occupation of the country is not currently tenable. The prospect of a longer war … raises questions about dynamics within Russia and how people there might view a protracted conflict. I recently spoke … with Masha Lipman …. discuss[ing] … [how] Putin has tried to depoliticize Russian society, how Russian propaganda has evolved alongside the war, and why Putin fears Russian nationalism spiralling out of control. …”