The "United Russia" party officially stated for the first time since 2007 that it is the political force of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This is reported in a material by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that on June 28, "United Russia" published a campaign poster featuring Putin with the slogans "United Russia is the party of the president" and "Being Za Putin is the bare minimum."
The slogan on the poster contains the Latin letter "Z," which has become a widespread symbol of Russia's war in Ukraine, linking support for "United Russia" and Putin with support for the war. Putin's speech on June 28 at the congress of "United Russia" was likely intended to begin shaping the information space ahead of the elections to the Russian State Duma in September 2026, in particular to double down on Russians' commitment to the war in Ukraine,
They suggest that the Kremlin's decision to publicly associate Putin with the "United Russia" party is notable and likely aims to create an impression of broad popular support for Putin and his policies, "as the 'United Russia' party will inevitably win the autumn elections, which will be neither free nor fair."
Analysts also point out that the five representatives in the top five of "United Russia" for the State Duma are long-time Putin supporters. They are:
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov;
- Chief of the General Staff of the Russian "Youth Army," Captain Vladislav Golovin;
- Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin;
- Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova;
- Military blogger Yevgeny Poddubny.
"The final list features figures who are Putin loyalists and staunch supporters of the war in Ukraine. The list reflects Putin's political and ideological positions, which all Russians are expected to emulate," ISW concludes.
Reminder
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, during a speech at the congress of the "United Russia" party, stated that the Russian Federation still aims to capture all of Donbas, as well as "Novorossiya."