I spent half an hour conversing with a highly intelligent Russian expatriate today who recently moved away from Russia because he hates the war and its dissolved opportunities for his particular employment, and it was very enlightening. A few things he said:
I talked with many Russians, not average ones who are zombied by state owned TV. I talked with more inteligent people, they saw Western world in their eyes. And everything is OK until you start to talk with them about politics, especially Ukraines. Then most of them become ultra patriots and justify this war.
- The majority of Russians don't support the war.
I have different impression. Maybe they are against war when they talk with family in the kitchen. But when it comes to actions, they remain silent
- Putin will remain in power until he's dead.
Question how many years it will took and what will change after it.
- Western Ukraine is filled with Nazis who hate people that aren't Ukrainian, don't speak the Ukrainian language.
Calling someone Nazi just because they hate people who don't speak official language of country is a bit too stroong word. In my country there is also many people who live there 70-80 years and they speak just Russian. I don't like them too, so, Im probably also Nazi.
- The war won't end until Russia has destroyed NATO bases in Ukraine.
NATO bases in Ukraine sounds similar like US biolabs in Ukraine.
- The war will end in about two years.
There is so many predictions about when war will end given that someone from all these must be right
- Almost nobody in Russia really knows whats going on with the war or why it was started.
Including people who have leading roles in this ''special operation, considering how it's going on. And this sentence summarize Russia very well.