Just how popular is the Ukraine conflict in Russia? A survey conducted by the state-run pollster VTsIOM released on March 5 said that 71% of Russians supported the war effort. And according to a more recent VTsIOM poll published on April 8, domestic support for Vladimir Putin has only grown since Russian troops began entering Ukraine, with 81.6% of Russians saying they trusted their president compared with the 67.2% who said the same prior to the Feb. 24 invasion.
But while those figures may be exaggerated (as respondents answer in the way Russian state media has told them is acceptable), it's nevertheless indicative that, barring no major anti-war movement, the Kremlin's domestic front is currently secure. How long it will stay that way is less certain, though Russian history shows it could be a while. If there is to be a crack that gives way to a larger political revolt, it will only...
