Abstract
Guest: Olle Hammar – Linnaeus University and Stockholm School of Economics
In this episode of Policy Implications, Olha Zadorozhna hosts a conversation with Olle Hammar on Russian public opinion, wartime attitudes, and what survey evidence can tell us about support for the invasion of Ukraine.
Drawing on new research using data from the Levada Center and the Gallup World Poll, they discuss whether Russia’s war against Ukraine is really just Putin’s war, or whether it has broader backing inside Russian society. Together, they explore why the evidence points to a strong rally effect after the full-scale invasion, how support for Putin and optimism about the future both increased while positive attitudes toward the West and migration aspirations declined, why Moscow stands out as a partial exception, what the temporary backlash to partial mobilization actually reveals, and what all of this means for policymakers in Ukraine and the West who may still hope that internal Russian opposition will end the war.
Link to the paper discussed in this episode: https://tinyurl.com/y3f9w9vk