From the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, observers focused their attention on elite and popular responses and their implications for the war and for domestic politics in Russia. Russia’s state-controlled media presents an image of a people unified behind Vladimir Putin, backed by an elaborate propaganda campaign that blends the war with a combination of humanitarian claims, historical imagery, and Western conspiracies. While recently released surveys suggest a majority of Russians support the war, social scientists question the results given evidence of manipulation or dissimulation.

Social media platforms provide occasional signs of elite discontent and suggest a weak uptake of pro-war symbols. While a spate of repressive laws criminalized dissent and impose harsh penalties for those who oppose the war, the need for such laws possibly indicates that the Kremlin views public support as precarious. This event brings together international experts on Russian politics and society to discuss what we know—and what we don’t know—about elite and popular support for the war in Russia.

Join our panel of experts: Elizaveta Gaufman (University of Groningen), Henry Hale (George Washington University), Jeremy Morris (Aarhus University), and Gulnaz Sharafutdinova (Kings College London). The discussion will be moderated by Paul Goode (Carleton University). Please register to attend this event: https://carleton.ca/eurus/cu-events/do-russians-support-the-war/.