MOSCOW For most Russians, their country’s two-year war with Ukraine has long faded into the background of everyday life. “The average Russian is just waiting for this to end,” was how one Moscow resident described prevailing sentiments about the war. “The idea of 'let me live my life and leave me alone' resonates with many people who chose to stay in the country and are simply waiting things out,” he told The Moscow Times, requesting anonymity to speak candidly.
President Vladimir Putin is defying Russian election laws by unofficially campaigning during his work trips and meetings while enjoying preferential coverage on state television.
MOSCOW – For Russians, avoiding the sight of army recruitment advertisements plastered on billboards and shop windows, distributed on street corners and flashed across television screens has become next to impossible in recent months.