Russian authorities are not sure that its residents think war in Ukraine is good - Riekstins

RIGA - The Russian authorities are no longer sure that its residents think that the war in Ukraine is good, Latvian Ambassador to Russia Maris Riekstins said in an interview with the Latvian public television on Wednesday.

He said that this is reflected in Russia's decision to regulate local media with administrative decisions, instructing how the events in Ukraine should be described, and closing many information channels.

"This suggests that they are not confident that what they are doing is rights and that people will perceive it so. The public opinion in Russia may weigh in the direction that the war in Ukraine is not good. There is a fight for people's minds," said Riekstins.

At the same time, Riekstins said that many people in Russia have not become aware of the scale of international isolation and how it will affect their lives. Riekstins said that people will not be able to withdraw money from ATMs, they will not understand why their favorite sports team does not participate in competitions, and only then they will see that something is not right.

The ambassador said that there are still many people who are afraid to protest, many are apathetic, but there are still many who support Putin's politics and believes it is right.

"The voices calling to stop the war are becoming louder. People are listening into them, and, possibly, dissatisfaction with the events may be growing," said Riekstins.

As reported, Russia started an invasion in Ukraine on February 24.