Comment | Russia’s “new territories” do not cause Russians the same fascination as the annexation of Crimea once did

Moscow

Russia has woken up on Saturday to a new day, where it is even bigger in area – according to its own announcement.

Russia now “belongs” to four Ukrainian provinces, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, whose “association agreements” the president Vladimir Putin signed on Friday in a ceremony held in the Kremlin’s Yrjönsal.

Before signing the agreements, Putin gave a long speech that contained no surprises or news. It had been discussed in advance whether Putin could impose a travel ban on conscripted men or even declare martial law.

Such news did not come to the relief of the Russians. The “partial implementation” has already sufficiently spoiled the atmosphere, which has also been noticed in the Kremlin.

Still at least the foreigner was Putin’s talk sometimes ringing in the ears when listening. The Russian president even mentioned in his speech Satanism. Did I hear right?

“Such a complete denial of man, suppression of beliefs and traditional values ​​acquires the opposite features of religion, outright Satanism,” Putin said.

In his chain of thought that progressed to Satanism, Putin had criticized the diversity of genders recognized in the West, i.e. that there are other genders in addition to men and women.

The provinces of Ukraine and their importance for Russia or Russians remained a secondary part of the speech. In Russian citizens, their annexation to Russia does not cause the same charm as the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Russia occupied Crimea and annexed it without firing a single shot. The “return” of Crimea boosted national self-esteem and increased Putin’s support. “Krym nash” that is, Crimea is ours repeated the Russians for a long time.

Muscovites spending time in the center at the foot of the Red Square on Friday afternoon. Picture: HS

State Executive has tried to market the new provinces to be annexed from Ukraine to citizens with, among other things, the slogan “together forever”.

Russia has been at war in Ukraine for more than seven months, there is no end in sight. Russian society is divided in its opinions. Older age groups, residents of small towns and rural areas support Putin’s military actions, young people and residents of large cities do not.

I followed Putin’s support concert near the Red Square on Friday evening. Few of the concert guests I interviewed had seen the president’s speech during the day. Some did not even know that Putin had spoken in the afternoon in the Kremlin.

Still, a woman who came to the concert from a small town in the Moscow region commented that Putin spoke “correctly”. Putin’s supporters don’t really care what the president says in his speech. It is difficult for many to understand what Russia is actually doing in, for example, the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia.

In Russian markets, “referendums” are viewed as the whims of power, which must be adapted to be supported, because those in power know better. Russian flags are flying, albeit by force.