The political logic behind green-lighting deep strikes into Russia is also obscure. There is little reason for optimism that such attacks would build pressure on Putin to end the war or drive him to the negotiating table, but there is good reason for concern that they will amplify his claims that Russia is fighting NATO, not the Ukrainian people. There are many examples in history of large-scale bombing campaigns’ galvanizing public resistance, and so far that has proved true with Russia’s own strikes on Ukraine, which have stoked Ukrainian patriotism and anti-Russian attitudes.
According to an interview with Zelensky, he wants to deploy these weapons just to make Russian life harder so the people revolt against Putin. The problem with that is what is stated in the above quote: if Ukrainian nationalism has been hardened due to the strikes within Ukraine, then the same can be said for the Russian people. If Ukraine did send missiles into Russia I wouldn’t be surprised if the people doubled down harder in their support.
if Ukrainian nationalism has been hardened due to the strikes within Ukraine, then the same can be said for the Russian people
Arguably there is a difference. Ukraine had NATO-funded propaganda machine pissing in their ears with ethnonationalist propaganda for over twenty years (at least). On the other hand, Russia is multiethnic, which causes certain gripes to the ruling class, because they are forced to tone down ethnonationalist rhetoric at least sometimes. People from Russia, it seems, are more likely to reject their professed nationality - from various local nationalist movements to “I am ashamed to be Russian” campaign launched immediately after SMO began in 2022.
That said
but there is good reason for concern that they will amplify his claims that Russia is fighting NATO, not the Ukrainian people.
I am morbidly amused that the media is still trying to maintain this particular farce
According to an interview with Zelensky, he wants to deploy these weapons just to make Russian life harder so the people revolt against Putin. The problem with that is what is stated in the above quote: if Ukrainian nationalism has been hardened due to the strikes within Ukraine, then the same can be said for the Russian people. If Ukraine did send missiles into Russia I wouldn’t be surprised if the people doubled down harder in their support.
Arguably there is a difference. Ukraine had NATO-funded propaganda machine pissing in their ears with ethnonationalist propaganda for over twenty years (at least). On the other hand, Russia is multiethnic, which causes certain gripes to the ruling class, because they are forced to tone down ethnonationalist rhetoric at least sometimes. People from Russia, it seems, are more likely to reject their professed nationality - from various local nationalist movements to “I am ashamed to be Russian” campaign launched immediately after SMO began in 2022.
That said
I am morbidly amused that the media is still trying to maintain this particular farce
Yeah, it’s a nonsensical idea. If simply doing deep strikes could win the war then Russia would’ve won a long time ago.