Since the Ukraine crisis broke out, Russia’s government-controlled media has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to invade the country. This has prompted several concerns in Kyiv and elsewhere. The possibility of Russian aggression is now a serious concern for many. However, the question remains: Do Russians support invading Ukraine and who is behind it? What can we learn from the history of wars in the former Soviet Union?
A study by Pew Research Center, a non-partisan think tank, revealed that Russians are overwhelmingly opposed to military action. While a large portion of them support NATO, many Ukrainians and Russians are against invasion. The Russians’ opposition to the war, however, is a much bigger worry. A recent poll by Gallup and Deutsche Welle found that only a small minority of nostalgic Russians are in favor of armed intervention.
The results of the survey suggest that Russians are not in favor of an invasion. More than half of Russians blame the U.S., while only 4% blame Russia for the crisis. Moreover, only 3%-4% of respondents said they don’t know the answer, indicating that their opinion is divided. The margin of error of these polls is more than 3.4 percentage points. Nonetheless, more Russians believe that military action is justified and defensive.
Some people have doubts about Russia’s intentions in the conflict. Some oligarchs close to the Kremlin support the conflict. One such oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, once said that he does not want to separate from the Russian state. Nevertheless, he deleted the post once the war was averted. Meanwhile, Russian state TV has framed the invasion as a defensive mission, while the Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, Vladislav Shurygin, argued that immobilising Ukraine will preserve the lives of Russians.
While Russia’s military actions are justified, the actions of oligarchs in the conflict are not. The president of the OSCE urged Russians to speak up against the conflict. Aside from the economic reasons, the occupation was not only a good idea for the Ukrainian people. This is why they are backing the invasion in the first place. The Russians are not only opposing the war, but they also supporting the unity and the country.
Invading Ukraine is an attempt to regain control of Donbas and to seize Crimea territory. The annexation of Crimea has been a major mistake. It has been a strategic failure. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly resisted this move, and this has increased the number of rebels. Do Russians support invading Ukraine is an extremely serious question. This conflict has a clear political motive and is likely to escalate in the near future.
While there are many reasons for the conflict in Ukraine, the most serious is that it forces Russia into areas that are hostile to them. This would not be a good outcome for the US and the Ukrainian people. The conflict is a major problem for both countries. Invading Donbas could also be a huge setback to NATO’s plans for the region. As a result, if the US and NATO do not act, the situation could become more dire.
A Russian invasion of Ukraine may be harder than just annexing Crimea. In fact, Russia is already largely opposed to the idea of an invasion. The United States will have to convince Russians to support the invasion. A new government in Ukraine would also need to win the war. Neither of these two are willing to do that. There are a lot of people who believe that Russia does not support the Ukrainian military.
Moreover, there are a number of Russians who do not support an invasion of Ukraine. But they do support the invasion. Despite the fact that many Ukrainians are against the war, they are still against the US. And this is a mistake that will cause damage to the EU. A major problem will cost millions of people in the end. But the US can help them by providing assistance. This is the best way to stop the war and keep peace in the world.