Kathrine Frich
“I wish it would all end quickly,” one man told the BBC.
“I wish it would all end quickly,” one man told the BBC.
What the Russians Think
At a patriotic event outside Moscow, BBC reporter Steve Rosenberg asked everyday Russians a bold question: how and when will the war in Ukraine end?
Their answers may surprise you.
Family Caught in the Crossfire
One woman, attending with her children, said she wants Russia to win soon.
Her husband is fighting in the war, and the toll on the family is clear.
“We have two boys. This affects their father,” she said.
Asked why he joined the military, she paused: “His heart told him to, I think. I support him because I’m his wife.”
“I Just Want Peace”
“I wish it would all end quickly,” one man told the BBC. “For peace to reign in the sky… for people to live normal lives.”
While he hopes for a Russian victory, he added that peace with Ukraine — without either side claiming more — might be the better path.
“Why Did We Do All This?”
Draped in the Russian tricolor, one woman gave a firm answer: “Our victory, unquestionably.”
But when asked what happens if Russia doesn’t win, her response was revealing: “Otherwise, why did we do all this?”
It’s a telling glimpse into the emotional cost of the war narrative inside Russia.
Russians on Trump: Not Impressed
Asked for her view on Donald Trump, one woman shrugged off his appeal.
“He’s a businessman,” she said. “One minute he wants Alaska, then Greenland or Canada. He loves money. He doesn’t care if he sides with Russia or not.”
Another added, “Our Putin is better.”
Public Mood Is Shifting and the Kremlin Knows It
According to a May poll by the independent Levada Center, only 30% of Russians now support continuing the war, down from 44% in 2022.
Meanwhile, support for negotiating peace has soared to 61%.
The Age Gap: Young Russians Want Out
Support for the war is waning fastest among young people. Among Russians aged 18 to 39, just 18% want the war to continue.
By contrast, 40% of pensioners still back military action, revealing a stark generational divide in public opinion.
