Russia, the ‘island of tranquility’ Putin’s new campaign will downplay the war while painting the West as rife with problems, Kremlin insiders say — Meduza
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Russia’s next presidential election is mere months away, but Putin’s political strategists have been working on his campaign message for over two years. (Yes, the Kremlin plans to engage in fraud to ensure Putin’s election, but that doesn’t mean his popularity doesn’t matter.) Events like the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ICC’s arrest warrant against Putin have repeatedly sent the campaign planners back to the drawing board, but according to Meduza’s sources, they’ve finally landed on a narrative: the West is engulfed in chaos, while Russia is an “island of tranquility” thanks to its wise and fearless leader. Meduza’s special correspondent Andrey Pertsev explains.

Vladimir Putin’s campaign for his fifth term in office will not draw attention to the war in Ukraine. Instead, it will “focus on foreign affairs” by criticizing Western countries in Putin’s speeches and propaganda materials. The Kremlin hopes this approach will portray Putin as the man responsible for turning Russia into an “island of tranquility,” two people close to his administration say.

According to the sources, Russia’s leaders are confident that there’s demand among voters for criticism of the “collective West.” “Whenever the president speaks about this issue, criticizing [the West], we see his approval ratings go up,” one of them said.