[Dargo]

Putin has not announced a new phase, just more of the same. Vintage Putin, basically a tirade against the West in which he puts all the blame on them, describes Ukrainians as neo-Nazis, says the West is turning a local conflict into a global one. Even that culture war that the West would wage against Russia, as an attack on Orthodox family values, is by now a classic, actually he is preparing his society for a prolonged conflict. No new mobilization has been declared, but Putin is molding Russians so that they will be open to it later. For instance, he promises a state fund and better support programs for military personnel and their families. Perhaps he is doing so after criticism of the previous mobilization from poorer regions, as many men, especially from those areas, died as cannon fodder. Putin could not actually mention any victories simply because there are none, which is surely a sign of things to come.

The sanctions supposedly do nothing for Russia, but he does ask the oligarchs to invest more in Russia, saying no one is mourning their diminished yachts or sneering at businessmen who stayed in the UK and got noble titles there. Implicitly, this is a sign that he needs money. He plans new infrastructure works and also wants to widen the Volga Canal. That he openly admits that he needs Asia and the Middle East for his economy can be seen as a sign that sanctions do work. What was striking was that there was mostly mechanical applause. When the camera zoomed in on faces, you also saw few happy people in the audience. The parliament members seemed rather tired, sighing and sober. Apart from a few exceptions, you did not really see anyone looking at the leader in awe. Even with the national anthem, not everyone was singing along.