Public opinion in Russia is shifting amid war casualties, - Stubb
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that, in his opinion, public sentiment in Russia is beginning to shift amid the war against Ukraine, even though the Kremlin is unlikely to halt hostilities due to military losses.
According to Censor.NET, he made these remarks in an interview with the Financial Times..
Stubb cited data from the Finnish analytical organization Black Bird Group, which tracks the course of hostilities. According to its calculations, in June the Russian army lost about 9 square kilometers of territory it controlled in Ukraine. According to analysts, this is the first time since 2023 that Russia has suffered net territorial losses in Ukraine at the end of a month.
A shift in public sentiment could be the deciding factor
Commenting on these figures, the President of Finland noted that the deciding factor might not be the situation on the battlefield or the state of the Russian economy, but rather a shift in public sentiment.
"Our interpretation is that Russia will not end this war because of its losses on the battlefield, which are, of course, enormous. It’s not about an economic downturn. It’s about a shift in public opinion. And public opinion in Russia is changing right now," Stubb said.
According to the Finnish president, it is precisely these internal changes within Russian society that could ultimately influence the future course of the war.
