Timothy Frye (Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy) commented on Russian public views of the war in Ukraine in a piece for Project Syndicate (Mar. 4, 2022), saying:

“Judging how the Russian public views the invasion is challenging, given that a short-term rally around the government at the start of a war is common. However, while Putin’s popularity skyrocketed following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, there are no signs of similar jubilation in Russia this time. Police have detained thousands of anti-war protesters, while much of the population seems to have assumed a wait-and-see attitude.”

Frye also gave an interview on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s domestic environment, and Russia’s relationship with China for C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.