Speaker A
Well, I hope that, I don't know, there's a nuclear deterrent, yes, to protect us from war, away from everything else.
Russian citizens discuss the impact and effectiveness of new US sanctions amid ongoing conflict and economic challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Sanctions mainly pressure the general population, not the political leadership.
- Economic impact is significant but not seen as decisive in ending the conflict.
- Diplomatic efforts are preferred over harsh sanctions by some respondents.
- Public political influence is limited, with low expectations for change from elections.
- Despite challenges, many Russians express confidence in their country's resilience.
What the video covers
- Many Russians believe nuclear deterrence protects the country from war despite sanctions.
- There is skepticism about sanctions significantly impacting Russia's leadership or ending the war.
- Sanctions are seen as primarily affecting ordinary people rather than political elites.
- Some respondents feel sanctions could be partly justified but prefer diplomatic solutions.
- Economic hardships from sanctions are acknowledged but believed survivable by most.
- Public opinion is divided, with some doubting the ability of ordinary people to influence policy.
- The war's direct impact on daily life in major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg is perceived as limited.
- There is concern about long-term economic deterioration if sanctions persist beyond a year.
- Political engagement appears low, with declining support for the ruling party and skepticism about elections.
- Geopolitical tensions and retaliatory measures contribute to a complex and uncertain future.
Chapters
- 00:00Nuclear Deterrence and Initial Views on Sanctions
- 00:59Sanctions Justification and Economic Impact
- 02:08Survival and Public Sentiment on Sanctions
- 03:31Geopolitical Consequences and Retaliation
- 04:45Economic Concerns and Price Increases
- 05:52US Authorities' Approach and Effectiveness
- 07:16Public Adaptation and Political Voice
- 08:38Political Influence and Election Reflections
- 09:53Long-term Impact and Public Awareness
- 11:23Geopolitical Strategy and Public Opinion
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
As for the economy, well, I think it's too early to talk about that. There's plenty of food, after all. Russia isn't poor.
Speaker A
And have you heard about the hellish sanctions Donald Trump is planning to impose on Russia? If you think about it, it basically looks like a kind of leash that he's trying to tighten more and more in order to end the so-called
Speaker A
theater of military operations. In any case, I don't think it will really play a big role.
Speaker A
This pressure is only exerted on the people themselves. They don't care who's at the top, roughly speaking. It doesn't matter what the new regulations are or aren't, as long as they're purely for the people. That is, they won't have any impact on the current
Speaker A
situation. I would probably say that these sanctions could be partly justified, but that sounds too harsh. I think there probably should be some more diplomatic leverage. I don't think the economy is a key factor for Putin right now. Even when he runs out of money,
Speaker A
he'll cut corners on everything except war. And I don't think it'll have any impact on ending the war.
Speaker A
Teamwork, yes, that is, between America and Ukraine—what Ukraine is doing now, what America is doing now, will be quite effective, I think, in terms of, let's say, destabilizing the Russian economy. It's already not doing very well. And, on the other hand, it's
Speaker A
unclear where all this will lead, because, well, the outcome should be one, but I think that would require destabilizing the economy for a very long time. That's something, of course, on the one hand, I don't want, but on
Speaker A
the other hand, I would like. Well, these are very significant sanctions, meaning they're extensive, and yes, they will certainly affect the economy.
Speaker A
The economy affects the people, but I think we'll survive. Of course, we'll survive. Trump is often very expressive in his decisions, so I think there's a more interesting approach for every move. Everything will be fine.
Speaker A
Ordinary people in Russia can change, influence Trump's signatures. Frankly, I have some doubts about that. Ending the military conflict. I also kind of, well, how can I say, theoretically, perhaps, maybe, and they could practically, well, I don't think this is such an acute problem for
Speaker A
Russians right now. That is, for someone personally involved in this, yes, it's a problem, a tragedy, and so on. But for someone who leads an ordinary life, I don't think it's so strongly affected that someone would want or have the opportunity to
Speaker A
radically influence it. Life goes on, as it were. So far, it's going as it is.
Speaker A
There's a meme-like concept, obviously not a legal one, called Taran's theorem. It was introduced about 10 years ago in relation to Ukrainian policy, for example, towards Russia. If Ukrainian policy, politicians say, uh, promote their interests, then it comes back to
Speaker A
them twofold. Well, on the worst side, I think it will come back fivefold to Trump. Well, and to America in general.
Speaker A
It sounds very sad, because we already have so many sanctions. And everything is happening around our elections, parties, and so on. And we also have new taxes and laws coming out now, especially on electronics. It's a shame. But I don't think they will have a
Speaker A
particularly big impact on us now. But if they are not repealed within the next year, the economy will be very unhappy.
Speaker A
Well, we have always defended ourselves, protected ourselves, it seems like we were rarely the first to attack, as I understand it, with history. But still, Russia is more humane, a better country, and the president, I think, is a good
Speaker A
person, a president, a politician. We can't afford to give ourselves a victory. Whether it's because of the sanctions or not, when prices in stores go up, it affects ordinary people. What will happen because of these sanctions?
Speaker A
Well, I can't say. I haven't looked into this topic. And this is something that, well, I don't have much time to delve into it in depth and somehow compare things, calculate. So, well, I can only repeat that, well, if prices
Speaker A
go up, it won't be good. It would be better if they didn't go up. Well, somehow, at least as far as I know, our General Staff, the Russian General Staff, has some kind of action plan, but I hope they have one. Well, I'm
Speaker A
practically certain they do. This is not the organization that operates there from Barakhta Bay. And they have somehow developed some kind of action plans for, well, every conceivable eventuality.
Speaker A
What will be more effective? Well, if it continues, I don't know, if the economy deteriorates to some catastrophic degree, of course, it becomes obvious. It's hard to fight there when there's nothing to eat and nothing to burn.
Speaker A
This is unlikely to have any impact on the lives of ordinary people in Russia.
Speaker A
This, I think, is simply hysteria on the part of the US authorities. And they, of course, can do a lot. Yes, they can increase something by 1,000% or not, but I don't think they'll achieve anything constructive that way. Well,
Speaker A
in terms of geopolitics, again. Well, yes, they increased it, we decreased it for them somewhere. We have the Strait of Azmur now, please, we have unimpeded import of some, you know, resources, yes, through that. And they get a big
Speaker A
markup. In connection with the markup they got there, they probably also do this Komi, as you said, a commission, right? Not a commission, but a fee increase, right? That's why they raised the fee, because they were put under pressure,
Speaker A
they, well, they tightened the screw, they're loosening the bolt, so to speak. But can ordinary people influence internal decisions or not? Only the authorities. Usually, people only have a passing influence, because if you look at the very beginning and the
Speaker A
entire course of what's happening, at first, people seemed to be divided into two camps. Where, roughly speaking, at least some voice was heard from each camp, now those voices are basically gone. It's all blurred into this gray picture of everyday life, and so
Speaker A
everyone has kind of, well, simply gotten used to it. Therefore, if someone is going to speak out, it requires strong support, a strong voice. And I think that, in reality, no such thing will rise. Therefore, if something is at the top, then, in
Speaker A
principle, under their influence, everything will continue along this rut. Can ordinary people influence this somehow? Listen, even if you look at the elections we just had, only 50%, I think 7% voted for United Russia, and that's a pretty significant figure.
Speaker A
People are already starting to think something's wrong, because before, the votes were, well, 80-90%. It's all clear, yes, clear, yes. Now they're like, "Something's happening, something's wrong." I mean, people, well, it was just a show-off, I think, because it's unlikely anything will be
Speaker A
fixed. But people have realized something's wrong. Because in reality, if you look at how people live, say, in St. Petersburg, in Moscow, the war doesn't really affect us. We just hear and see things here and there, but directly, people are living and living,
Speaker A
and nothing's happening, we don't know. And only because of these restrictions that are being imposed, I don't know, because of these difficulties, only then will people start thinking. And now they've started doing so.
Speaker A
Well, I believe that, firstly, we can't influence this in any way, of course, and the elections are direct evidence of this. But as far as we're concerned, well, in general, yes, despite the fact that specifically, well, again, yes, as
Speaker A
was just noted, we don't really feel it in the big cities. However, for example, a friend of mine was called up for mobilization a few years ago, when it was happening. So, one way or another, it remains in the public consciousness,
Speaker A
and in mine too. That is, this whole feeling is still hanging in the air somewhere, which, of course, influences us. One day Trump is our friend, the next day he's against us. Honestly, I don
Speaker A
anymore. I mean, I just read this with this usual expression on my face, but I don't think it will have much of an impact on us. That's it. Because we can live just as well as we do now. So. We
Speaker A
have food, we have some resources. I'm not talking about everything right now. I don't think it will be very critical, because our society as a whole seems to be less critical of any changes. So.
Speaker A
But, most likely, there will still be some negative, so to speak, thoughts about the population.
Speaker A
And he also said that these sanctions, the so-called hellish sanctions, will affect the course of the special military operation, or rather, its completion. What do you think about this? Well, given all the news about the negotiations, about the
Speaker A
introduction of sanctions that have been going on for the past four years, it's probably unlikely to significantly influence the decisions of, let's say, higher-ups.
Speaker A
But can ordinary people inside somehow influence this? Um, perhaps, yes. But how? Over these years, we still haven't figured out how people can influence this. What do you think, are there any other effective measures? Or are you suggesting that some measures could
Speaker A
help, uh, end this military conflict? I think there needs to be some very serious, very serious diplomatic conversation here, without pressure from either side, or rather, from all sides, because there are more than just two. Ah, but these would need to be
Speaker A
very lengthy negotiations. I kind of think that until they decide how to stop all this, they shouldn't get up from the table. It might push things along a bit, maybe worsen the economy, but it's unlikely to have a significant
Speaker A
impact. And why do you think so? Well, because they'll still be looking for workarounds, some gray schemes, gray areas that aren't as tightly regulated, and, well, therefore, the impact won't be as strong.
Speaker A
No, it won't have any impact. Uh, China makes its own decisions about the introduction, or rather, the purchase of certain energy resources. And India is also independent. Uh, I don't think it will have any impact. Well, what if he really does impose 100%
Speaker A
tariffs on the products he buys from India and China, what do you think? Okay, he'll just ruin relations with China. China is one of the largest producers, probably the largest producer of goods, right? Yes, yes, goods. And he'll find a market in Russia, if not
Speaker A
the US, then Europe. Europe will refuse to sell to Indonesia, Oceania, Australia, and many other countries.
Speaker A
And South America, too. In any case, China and India will find a market. And we only supply rare earth metals, like, as far as I understand, some kind of enriched uranium. They'll refuse to do that. And besides Russia, I don't think
Speaker A
anyone does this. So he's shooting himself in the foot. Well, I think the conflict with Ukraine will be resolved by other people's will . That is, it may contribute, of course , but it's not his final word. That's
Speaker A
what I'll put it this way. Could you clarify, the will of other people, whom did you mean?
Speaker A
I think, more powerful than Trump. Are there examples of such people? Yes. There are Vladimir Putin, well, some other powerful people, that is, they have more say here. Plus, a lot depends, well, if not to say a good
Speaker A
half, on the other side of the conflict . After all, many actions, political ones, so to speak, some statements, some proposals that contribute to the advent of peace, they have been made, and a lot depends on the Ukrainian side
Speaker A
, how willing they are to accept them, to agree to them, or to what extent they are satisfied with them. Something like that. I have repeatedly noted that , in particular, the aforementioned Vladimir Putin has already offered many
Speaker A
times, I believe, very acceptable proposals that contribute to peace. Everything, again, is in the hands of the Ukrainian side. Here I see this card.
Speaker A
And why don’t they agree, in your opinion? It’s hard to say. Definitely. I can believe that this is not beneficial to someone, from those people in certain circles.
Speaker A
We want our traditionally Russian territories to be with us, and we don't want NATO countries to bring their, you know, armed forces, air defense systems , and so on, close to our borders. We don't need that. That is, again, this
Speaker A
is a long-standing thing. It's always been like this. Every state strives for its own expansion. And so they want to get closer to us through NATO countries . There's Finland, we've heard, yes, that they want to deploy in Finland,
Speaker A
and we, in turn, want to deploy in Cuba . They're a little, well, not happy about this, yes, let's say. Well, it's fair. And this fairness, it didn't suit them. They realized that if they now, if we deploy in Cuba now, and they
Speaker A
deploy in Finland or some other nearby countries, it will only prolong, well, it will 100%lead to escalation. And they understand this. Our guys are right now there in the Northeast Military District, yeah, they're all dying, they don't even understand
Speaker A
what's going on. Geopolitics is such that it's all about money, resources, conquering territory. And by the way, I want to say hi to everyone on the front lines. And may God grant you good health. Oh, well, no. These sanctions
Speaker A
won't affect us at all. We're always getting stronger and more determined. Uh, that means sanctions won't break us . They won't break us, in short, we're just pushing forward, like a tank.
Speaker A
Tanks aren't afraid of dirt, and this is all dirt, you know? And we couldn't care less. What do they want for themselves? Uh, Vladimir Putin, he's doing things. He's really super cool, he's a real hottie.
Speaker A
I think people can actually do something by expressing their opinions and taking an active stance. That's it.
Speaker A
But since people don't do anything about it, they're afraid at the very least, or lazy at the most, like, say, I don't know, to apply 40 days in advance to participate in the elections . I mean, I don't know, it's hard to
Speaker A
just express your opinion. People are like, "Okay, I'll live the life I have. " It's just that the majority, it seems to me, well, they've just gotten used to it anyway and everything is like, well, that's how it is, so it will be,
Speaker A
like, and they don't think about it, will it continue or not, will it end or not, like, it doesn't matter at all.
Speaker A
But honestly, it hurts me, like, to watch what's happening. Like, we don't know about the numbers that have simply been exterminated in our world, in another country. Besides, what irritates me most is that we are the same race, I don't know, the same
Speaker A
people. And why should we do this? Why are they forcing us to do this? They are forcing us to suffer. Well, not directly me, but I sense some kind of bloodshed with people who like to cheat . Well, it's terrible. I would say that
Speaker A
, naturally, it's not very humane, but I think it's the most reasonable outcome of the situation. That's it. I mean, well, what I would like this to lead to, I would like it to happen back in 2012. I mean, well, or it could end
Speaker A
completely legally, just with the death of our wonderful ruler. I wouldn't want that either. That's it. But it's also unclear what will happen. I mean, maybe after his death some other movement in Russia will begin, a new 90s. I mean,
Speaker A
well, there's no such thing as an ideal option anymore, right? I mean, the ideal would have been for February 24th not to happen, but it did, so we have to find some other way.
Topics:Russiasanctionseconomywarpublic opinionUS-Russia relationsdiplomacymilitary conflictpolitical influenceresilience
