Paris, March 22 (AFP/APP): President Vladimir Putin is for now holding on to the public loyalty of Russia’s political elite, despite the international outcry over the invasion of Ukraine and unprecedented sanctions.
Russian artists and heavyweight media figures have spoken out against the war and even billionaire oligarchs have offered veiled criticism.
But after almost a month of fighting, there has been no apparent outbreak of dissent from within Putin’s inner circle or among political heavyweights inside the country.
“There has been no sign of a split” within the ruling class, said Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik political analysis firm.
“There is a full consensus, albeit possibly with differences on tactics,” she added.
She said a distinction had to be drawn between having reservations about the invasion and being ready to act.
“People are in shock and many believe this is a mistake. But no-one is able to act. Everyone is focused on their own survival.”
Western diplomatic sources say despite the crushing impact of sanctions on the Russian economy, there is no sign yet that this will translate into political change.
The main domestic criticism of the invasion, according to Stanovaya, comes from “peripheral” forces on the radical right who think it is not proceeding aggressively enough.
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