The effects of the high tension with the West are one of the main concerns of the Russians when they see that the tension is red hot on the Ukrainian border. They generally believe that open warfare will be avoided in the end. However, they fear losing purchasing power due to a possible brake on trade relations, despite the fact that the people consulted justify the maneuvers of Putin perceiving NATO’s moves as an attempt by the Atlantic alliance to have more of a presence at Russia’s gates.
This newspaper has brought together four citizens of Moscow between the ages of 21 and 35 to listen to some of the opinions on the street about the tension between Russia and the West focused on the Ukraine border. “I am worried that this hostile climate will have consequences in everyday life and that there may be a rise in prices,” says Andrey Elmanov, a 29-year-old private tutor. He believes that there will be no war in Ukraine, but the general feeling is that it is not necessary to open fire for sanctions against Russia to be applied. His reasoning is justified in the evolution of the economy as a result of the military occupation and annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that, after a referendum not recognized by the international community, was integrated into Russia in 2014.
Then, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on the companies involved in the annexation of Crimea, and Russia responded with a reduction in imports boosting the country’s industry. However, economic data has worsened and food prices rose 10.6% last year according to Rosstat, the Russian statistics agency, and the ruble has devalued.
But it is not only the prices, but also the personal relationships and the historical link between Russia and Ukraine. “There is no longer the freedom of movement prior to 2014 [el año en que revueltas derrocaron al gobierno ucraniano de Víktor Yanukóvix] Y for Russians it is practically impossible to travel to Ukraine”, explains Ekaterina Anikanova, a 21-year-old playwright.
“Ukraine is not humble”
The playwright knows Ukrainians living in Moscow and has a good relationship with them, but believes that Ukraine’s turn to Europe, following the Maidan protests eight years ago, has fostered “a pride” that has a negative impact on the lives of its inhabitants. “The country is not humble and does not accept the support of Russia, which has resources that can benefit them. As a consequence, there are people who are cold and hungry,” he adds. Some statements that caricature reality because, although Ukraine’s economy has suffered from the war in the eastern regions, self-proclaimed independent [con 14.000 muertes y 1,5 millones de desplazados], there is not a widespread famine throughout the country.
The young people consulted do not see the Kremlin’s movements as an attempt to recover the old Russian empire, but to preserve the current borders. “Russia respects that the former countries of the USSR be independent, so there is no imperialist intention. Of course, Russia wants to continue as before and must protect itself because NATO is getting closer and closer, thus increasing tension,” adds the young woman. An interpretation of current geopolitics that clashes with the position of many Ukrainians who defend the right of country to choose the diplomatic relations that most interest them and blame Russia for threatening a military dispute.
Mike Osk, a 35-year-old man who works in the world of cinema, has been to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, a couple of times, and says he has met people who, despite knowing he is Russian, have not addressed him in their language, emphasizing “Russophobia” of a large sector of the population.
Alexander Bylkin, a 32-year-old director of marketing, refers to the two spirits of Ukraine, with “bilingual regions in the west where mostly Ukrainian is spoken, as opposed to those in the east where they basically speak Russian and are faithful to Moscow”. He believes that Putin wants eastern Ukraine to serve “as a containment dam” so that Western forces are not next to the border.
The Russian-Ukrainian marriage that avoids discussing the conflict
Alexander Klokov, a 41-year-old Russian, and his wife, Yulia Klokova, a 29-year-old Ukrainian, they don’t talk at home growing tension between Russia and Ukraine. They have antagonistic positions. One knows what the other thinks and, as the resolution of the conflict does not depend on them, they avoid discussing the subject. “We know of other mixed couples who have ended up breaking up because of opposing positions and talking frequently,” explains Klokov.
“We know other mixed couples who have ended up separating,” says Alexander Klokov
“From the beginning we have been clear that we should not talk about it. She has her truth and I have mine,” he adds. The couple is expecting a child and lives in Moscow, and the relationship led Alexander Klokov to live for a year in his wife’s city, in the south of Kyiv and in a region where Russian is mostly spoken. The year was 2011, before the Maidan riots that raised tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
She, until now, in Moscow has not received reproaches or malicious comments by the Russians with whom he deals. Of course, there are friends with whom they quarrel when they discuss the conflict and that is why they also avoid talking about it. She works in the tabletop gaming sector, he is a journalist and has been on the radio station at The Voice of Russia, the current Sputnik.