Statements by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about the alleged successful offensive of the Russian army and the "inevitable capture" of new Ukrainian territories are aimed at diverting Russians' attention from internal crises, primarily the fuel shortage. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to UNN by political scientist Oleh Lisnyi.
Putin is forced to explain problems inside Russia
The political scientist noted that Putin's very appearance in public is indicative, as the Russian dictator usually avoids commenting on crisis situations. Instead, this time he personally tried to convince Russians of military "successes," which, according to the expert, indicates the seriousness of internal problems.
First of all, we need to understand why this conference was held and why Putin decided to come out to the people at all. He does not do this very often. This means that even dictators are forced to pay attention to social moods. Usually, Putin simply ignores any crisis, but now we see different behavior. He reacted instantly even to a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Similarly, he could not remain silent about the fuel situation. Although, it would seem, Russian society is very patient and could have silently endured the difficulties for much longer. But if Putin reacts personally, it means the problem is truly serious for him
According to him, the Russian authorities are facing a crisis the likes of which the country has not experienced in decades.
This is a problem that Russia has essentially not known since the 90s. But back then, the reasons were completely different - economic chaos after the collapse of the USSR, not the systematic destruction of oil refining infrastructure. Now the situation is different, so Putin is trying to distort reality and replace it with a pretty picture of "successes" at the front
"Ten kilometers to Sumy" - an element of the information campaign
Separately, Lisnyi commented on Putin's statements about the alleged proximity of Russian troops to Sumy and advances on almost all fronts. In his opinion, the dictator deliberately operates with numbers and names of settlements to create the impression of a constant offensive among the Russian audience.
I was once taught to pay attention to one thing: when a politician starts throwing around numbers, kilometers, names of cities and settlements, he is trying to form a certain image. But if you check the facts, a different picture emerges. For example, statements about ten kilometers to Sumy do not correspond to reality. Russian troops have not been able to advance beyond the positions they held last year for a long time. So in this case, Putin is simply lying. He is injecting the numbers he needs into the information space to create an illusion of victory and distract Russians from what is happening inside the country
At the same time, he does not rule out that this time the Kremlin is not only deliberately manipulating facts but is also beginning to realize the scale of internal problems.
Previously, it was a lie to achieve a political goal. Now it seems to me that we are also seeing an attempt to hide a problem for which Putin himself has not yet found a solution. That is why he reacts so nervously to both the gasoline crisis and other internal challenges
Promises to "liberate" Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are aimed at the domestic audience
During his speech, Putin also once again stated that Russia would allegedly definitely occupy the entire Donetsk region, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In Lisnyi's opinion, such statements have nothing to do with the real situation at the front and are addressed exclusively to Russian society.
A person with critical thinking always adds two plus two and gets four. But Putin is not addressing such people. He is speaking precisely to that audience which is ready to believe any of his words unconditionally. He is essentially declaring: 'I am going to a victorious end, I will capture everything, we are advancing.' For his supporters, this looks like a success story. And he knows perfectly well that inside Russia, no one will publicly question these statements. This is classic propaganda that works not on logic but on emotions
At the same time, he warned that such statements could be dangerous if certain Western politicians take them as a guide.
What worries me more is that these messages might start being taken seriously by some politicians in the West. If someone concludes that Putin is so confident in his strength, calls might appear to meet him halfway or put pressure on Ukraine. Such risks exist, as Russian propaganda has repeatedly imposed Kremlin-favored interpretations of events on the world
"Spirit of Anchorage" was an information construct of Russian propaganda
Separately, the political scientist commented on Putin's words about the so-called "spirit of Anchorage," which, according to the Russian dictator, allegedly never existed. Lisnyi believes that this concept was created from the very beginning by Russian propaganda.
The story of the 'spirit of Anchorage' is very telling. After that meeting, it was Russia that first began to impose its own interpretation of its results on the world. The American side remained silent for a long time, and the Kremlin actively used this pause. In reality, no 'spirit of Anchorage' existed. It was an information construct that Russian propaganda itself invented and promoted for many months. It is good that Washington is now speaking directly about this
According to the expert, territorial issues and economic interests should be considered separately.
There were no territorial agreements. Another matter is business interests, because the desire of certain American political and economic circles to make money from Russia has not disappeared. This may be one of the biggest risks today
Lukashenko likely did not agree to the Kremlin's new demands
The political scientist also commented on the recent two-day meeting of self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with Putin. In his opinion, the unusually closed format of the negotiations may indicate that the Kremlin did not get the desired result.
This meeting was very unusual. It lasted a long time, but there was minimal information about it. Previously, they would always come out to journalists, demonstrate their unity, and make loud statements. This time, everything happened very quietly. That is why I assume that if Putin was trying to get something from Lukashenko, he has not yet achieved the desired result. Lukashenko never says a direct 'no' to Putin, but he has long learned to evade final decisions. It seems that now he is again trying to buy time
Lukashenko met with Xi Jinping in China, Beijing emphasized strategic partnership29.06.26, 13:22