Russian pensioner explains support for Putin amid inflation, dubious reporting on Ukraine war

Issued on: 28/03/2022 – 09:48

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the rouble has collapsed and inflation is rising. Aleksandr, a pensioner in Moscow, buys his groceries at prices that keep rising.

“Fruit juice, for example. I can’t buy the one I want. I have to buy things that are on special,” he tells FRANCE 24.

Watching a Russian state television report about the global food supply, Aleksandr says, “You see, there are food shortages all over the world. It’s not just here that prices are rising.”

Sometimes, Aleksandr wonders if the television reports are telling me the whole truth. He watched a news host deliver the following message: “Our soldiers obtained documents proving that Kyiv was preparing an attack on Russia…”

“An attack from Ukraine against Crimea. I doubt it,” Aleksandr says. “They [Ukraine] know that would have meant open war with Russia.”

Nevertheless, Aleksandr supports his country and his president, Vladimir Putin.

“Blaming Putin for all ills is like blaming Stalin. It’s the course of politics and history that forced them to take certain decisions. They had no choice,” he says.

“I’m Russian and I can’t very well see how I could not support my country…it’s like a wife,” he says, “a good wife may think her husband is right, or not, but in any case, she has to stand by him and reload his ammunition.” 

Click on the video to watch the full FRANCE 24 report.