Wars.Ukrainians.Humanity

Thoughts from Kyiv — afternoon March 4, 2022

March 2022
1 minute read

Russia is suffering from massive economic sanctions. We can rejoice in their hardship, but have we not made the situation worse?

The vast majority of Russians have never traveled beyond Russia. They receive their information from state television, and from Kremlin-controlled websites. These media are now telling them that the world has turned against Russia. The “evil West” is responsible for inflicting hardship on ordinary (innocent) Russians.

The idea underpinning the West’s strategy of instituting massive economic sanctions seems to have been based on two false premises: that Putin cares about the wellbeing of his people (he doesn’t) and that the Russian people (or the oligarchs around him) will rise up against Putin if their wellbeing suffers significantly.

The vast majority of Russians have never traveled beyond Russia. They receive their information from state television, and from Kremlin-controlled websites.

The opposite may well be happening. In Russian popular discourse Putin embodies Russia. There can be no Russia without Putin (his press secretary even said so several years ago). By sanctioning the Russian economy, the West has attacked Putin-Russia. And the natural reaction is patriotic consolidation.

In other words, instead of weakening Putin, sanctions may well have increased his popular support. Russians are reacting like sports fans who have witnessed what they perceive as an “unfair” ruling by a referee against their team: cheering for their coach (Putin) has grown louder.

Eventually (we hope) the coach will be replaced. But that won’t happen because of the ref’s ruling, but rather because their team loses. That is why Putin cannot ford to lose in Ukraine, and will escalate until he can get a “win”.

I apologize for the sports analogy, but given how the war in Ukraine is being portrayed in the global media, this seems fitting. The West has its favorite team — the underdogs with Zelensky as the star captain.

Russians root for their own, ignoring both their team’s errors and any costs associated with supporting the home side.

Meanwhile, this is not a game. Nuclear power plants are being shelled. Civilian infrastructure is being destroyed. People are dying in very large numbers.

Sanctions are not sufficient answer.

* Thoughts from Kyiv is a series of flash essays by Mychailo Wynnyckyj from February 2022

Author — Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Social Scientist, Public Intellectual. Academic Development Officer, Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Content Editor: Maryna Korchaka

Program Directors: Julia Ovcharenko and Demyan Om Dyakov Slavitsky

Demyan Om Flash essays Julia Ovcharenko Make The Strong Stronger Maryna Korchaka Mychailo Wynnyckyj Thoughts from Kyiv we recommend

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