Fact Check: "In war against Ukraine that Russia started could be blamed only Putin and his government. People of Russia are against the war"
What We Know
The claim suggests that the responsibility for the war in Ukraine lies solely with President Vladimir Putin and his government, and that the Russian populace is largely opposed to the conflict.
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Responsibility for the War: The invasion of Ukraine was initiated by Russia under Putin's leadership, with the stated goals of regime change in Kyiv and the restoration of Russian influence in Eastern Europe (source-2). This aligns with Putin's long-standing grievances against the West and his desire to reshape the post-Cold War order (source-2).
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Public Opinion on the War: Polling data indicates that a significant portion of the Russian population supports the war. Surveys conducted by various organizations, including the Levada Center and VCIOM, show that support for the war has remained between 60% to 75% since the invasion began (source-3, source-4). Conversely, opposition to the war has been consistently reported at around 20% (source-3).
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Factors Influencing Public Opinion: The Russian government has a history of controlling information and suppressing dissent, which complicates the interpretation of public opinion polls. Many analysts caution that while polls may show high levels of support, they could be influenced by state propaganda and fear of repercussions for expressing dissent (source-1, source-5).
Analysis
The claim that only Putin and his government are to blame for the war is substantiated by the fact that the invasion was a decision made at the highest levels of the Russian government. However, the assertion that the Russian people are predominantly against the war is misleading.
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Public Support vs. Opposition: While there is a segment of the population that opposes the war (approximately 20%), the overwhelming majority appears to support it. This suggests a complex relationship between the government and the populace, where dissent exists but is not as widespread as the claim implies (source-3, source-4).
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Source Reliability: The sources used for this analysis vary in reliability. Academic institutions and established think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Atlantic Council provide well-researched insights into public opinion and geopolitical dynamics (source-2, source-3). However, caution is warranted when interpreting polling data from Russia, given the potential for bias and manipulation in the context of a repressive political environment (source-1, source-5).
Conclusion
The claim is Partially True. It is accurate that Putin and his government are primarily responsible for the initiation of the war in Ukraine. However, the assertion that the Russian populace is largely against the war does not hold up against polling data, which indicates significant support for the conflict. While there is a notable minority opposed to the war, the majority of Russians appear to support it, influenced by factors such as state propaganda and a lack of free expression.
