Putin frames war as protecting Russia's existence. Are Russians buying it?
It’s been almost a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and many of the original rationales for the attack put forward by the Kremlin, such as “de-Nazification,” are no longer even mentioned.
Instead, the key appeal Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Tuesday in his first state of the nation address in almost two years was that, since Russians are fighting against the united West and not just Ukraine, they must consolidate behind the war effort for the sake of national survival. “The goal of the West is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, to end us once and for all,” he said. “We will respond accordingly, because we are talking about the existence of our country.”
And, in a demonstrative final break with the post-Cold War arms control regime – which has – Mr. Putin announced that Russia will suspend its participation in New START, that limited arsenals and provided channels for verification and crisis management.
