Russian Soldiers in Ukraine Less Supportive of Peace Talks than Russians at Home, ‘Vyorstka’ Reports

Paul Goble
    Staunton, Dec. 11 – A Russian Field poll last month found that twice as many Russians favor a ceasefire in Ukraine as support continuing the war, but the attitudes of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine are very different, according to interviews the independent Vyorstka news service has carried out.
    The 20 Russian soldiers said that any ceasefire would be “a second Khasavyurt,” a reference to the agreement that ended the first post-Soviet Chechen war, and that “after a certain time,” the Ukrainians would resume their attacks after “deceiving” Russia as appened in Syria (verstka.media/kak-v-rossiiskoi-armii-otnosyatsya-k-vozmozhnomu-nachalu-mirnyh-peregovorov-s-ukrainoi).
    All the soldiers told the news agency that they were tired of war and would naturally like to return home but believed there was only one acceptable outcome: an overwhelming Russian victory that would prevent Ukrainians from ever taking up arms against Russia again. None of them said they believed that such a victory could be easily or quickly achieved, however.
    But those interviewed overwhelmingly said that despite losses and difficulties, it was better to continue the fight now, especially when there are Ukrainian forces on Russian territory like Kursk Oblast lest the Ukrainians organize similar actions elsewhere in the Russian Federation. Otherwise, Russians will have to fight again and in less advantageous positions.
    There is no indication of how representative this sample is, but it is almost certain that the attitudes that Vyorstka captured do affect a sizeable number of Russian servicemen and thus are something that the Kremlin can simultaneously count on and must take into account as it moves forward.