When President Vladimir Putin arrived to address the State Duma on Wednesday, a warm welcome was almost guaranteed.
The so‑called "Special Election Operation" produced a majority for United Russia that is larger than ever before, giving the Kremlin a fresh claim to a mandate from the Russian people. Whether that mandate will translate into a change in Russia’s policy toward Ukraine remains doubtful.
Putin’s televised speech made clear that the special military operation – a full‑scale invasion of Ukraine – is still in full swing, despite heavy battlefield losses and continuing damage to the Russian economy. His comments suggest a still‑firm belief that Russia can win militarily.
On Thursday, the President is expected to get a closer look at the forthcoming Valdai Discussion Club session. The annual forum has traditionally offered a glimpse into Putin’s worldview and the direction of Russian foreign policy.
In the meantime, Sergei Lavrov said it was "a war Europe is waging against us", pointing to hybrid warfare incidents that include cyber‑attacks, sabotage, and Russian drones intruding on European airspace. He stressed that any use of Soviet‑era tactics against Russia would only intensify a European‑U.S.‑led conflict.
Those warnings resonate with the views of foreign‑policy strategist Sergei Karaganov, who argued that if Europe does not withdraw its support for Kyiv, Russia will be forced to consider increasingly severe, even nuclear, options – a scenario he dismisses as unlikely but hints that escalation is inevitable.
