As Russians headed to the polls this month, the reelection of Russian President Vladimir Putin was not in doubt.

On March 17th, with over 87% of the votes in his favor, Putin secured a fifth term, becoming the longest-serving leader of the Federation since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. With most opposition candidates either dead, jailed, exiled, or barred from running, the path was clear, with no credible challenger to his rule.

Echoing this landslide victory, polls in Russia seem to indicate Putin enjoys real domestic support, with 86% approving of the President, according to the Levada Centre, a respected Russian pollster.

So beyond these official figures, what do Russians really make of their leader? And is support for the war in Ukraine as strong as the Kremlin claims?

In this episode, we talk to Aleksei Miniailo, a political activist in Moscow, who started a project with social scientists and analysts to find out how the war with Ukraine is really being perceived in Russia. Pavel Baev, a Research professor at PRIO and an expert on Russian foreign policy, also joins the conversation.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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