Advertising
Supported by
While there is little doubt about the final results of the vote, there are fears that an emboldened President Putin could use his victory to provoke a new war mobilization.
By Ivan Nechepurenko
Maria and her husband, Alexander, are confident that President Vladimir Putin will win a fifth term as Russia’s leader in this weekend’s presidential election.
But the couple, who live in Moscow with their three children, aren’t sure what will happen next. Above all, they worry that Putin, emboldened by his new six-year term, will call for a new mobilization of foot soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Alexander, 38, who left Russia shortly after Putin announced the first mobilization in September 2022, has recently returned and is even contemplating leaving the country again, his wife said.
“I hear talk of mobilization, that there is an offensive planned for the summer and that the troops want rotation,” Maria, 34, said in a WhatsApp exchange. He refused to allow the use of the couple’s last name for fear of government reprisals.
Many Russians are worried about a number of problems ahead of the vote, which began Friday and will last three days. Although the Russian government has denied that a new mobilization for the war is being considered, a sense of unease persists.
The considerations seem to be based on the option of Putin using his absolute strength to achieve adjustments that he had avoided before the vote. Denis Volkov, director of the Levada Center, one of the few independent pollsters in Russia, said these considerations are still felt basically across the minority of Russians who oppose the government.
While imaginable mobilization remains the main source of concern, there are also important considerations about finance and the economy. Some Russians fear that the ruble, which received support through the government after plunging last year, could simply depreciate again, expanding the cost of imports. worried about rising taxes, and opposition activists hope for more crackdown on dissent.
We are retrieving the content of the article.
Please allow javascript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access. If you’re in Reader mode, log out and log in to your Times account or subscribe to the full Times.
Thank you for your patience as we determine access.
Already a subscriber? Sign in.
Want all the Times? Subscribe.
Advertising