Oleg Belokolos: Russians Can No Longer Hide It
- 11.08.2025, 18:38
Even in Putin's entourage there are those who oppose the war.
One of Putin's longesttime associates, deputy chief of staff to the Russian ruler Dmitri Kozak has come out against a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and warned of the disastrous consequences.
What does the fact that even officials so close to Putin have come out against the war tell us? Charter97.org spoke to Oleh Belokolos, director of the Center for National Resilience Studies in Kiev and former advisor to the Ukrainian embassy in Canada and Kenya, about this:
- As the internal difficulties in Russia itself accumulate, we see a worsening economic situation, demographic problems, and labor shortages. And there is a shortage of drivers, engineers, medical workers. This is already becoming difficult to hide. Plus there is migration tension. All of this cannot but affect the moods that exist in society.
It is clear that this has no effect on the Kremlin. But, apparently, it affects those people who are in the orbit of the Kremlin and realize that all this is not going anywhere. A war with a neighbor, unleashed under far-fetched pretexts, is absolutely harmful to the interests of a normal country, and sooner or later it will end in collapse for the aggressor himself.
People who may have remained sane (if I may say so) understand this, but are afraid to say it out loud.
- Who else from Putin's entourage might share the anti-war position, even if unspoken?
- Obviously, people involved in the practical issues of the functioning of the economy see the cracks and trends I mentioned. It could also be people involved in the medical field. Despite censorship, information is leaking into the regional media. For example, it is reported that staffing levels at some hospitals have dropped to 50%. This cannot be completely hidden.
There are those who are involved in practical management within the state or near-state system, and they see the situation very well.
- Will Putin's entourage be able to influence his position?
- I don't think they will be able to change his position in any way. Putin and his inner circle have driven themselves into a spiral of confrontation. There are already so many dead on the Russian side that they can't win back.
Those who have their own opinions are frightened by the showy repression we see after 2022. Everyone realizes that anyone who disagrees can fall under the rink of the mindless repressive machine that has always existed in this part of the world.
So I don't think Putin's entourage will be able to sway his point of view in any way.