'No Talking About This': Russians Refuse To Discuss How They Feel About The War
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- Опубликовано: 28 сен 2024
- On-the-street interviews in Moscow reveal that Russians are extremely uneasy discussing the war in Ukraine. But some will still admit they don't support the six-month-old unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, while others continue to back the war with a thumbs up.
Originally published at - www.rferl.org/...
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#russia #ukraine
Politics is never anyone's thing until it's _them_ getting screwed and then all of a sudden "OH LORDY, WHY DOES NO ONE TAKE PITY ON ME?! OH, THE HUMANITY!"
Not voicing ur opinion in public doesn't mean u don't have one or that u aren't taking action.
There have been fires...
this one sounds more like refusing to comment as a means to critizise without becoming a target of the law
I talked with young russian people, they were my tenants at that time, in 2015; they told me they are not interested in politics, and also told me that anyways, protesting is forbidden, so why bother with it.
These were young, college educated people, and seemed smart; but they were passive and defeated already.
Frightening.
Maybe if they took a bit more interest they wouldn't have Putin throwing them I'm jail
"I don't have the full picture" - understatement of the year. She certainly does not.
This video just proves that zombies really do exist.
Hence the "Z" as their "mighty" symbol...😆
Everyone who comments here. You underestimate how powerful totalitarian machine is built in Russia. Even if half of the nation will speak out, there will be enough of prison cells for everyone. Do you understand that these people interviewed can ruin their lives completely if they will say just a few wrong words. Those words won't change globally anything, no matter how many people will speak out. It's a dictatorship. The problem is that these people were silent when putin was building this system, when there was a chance to stop this madness. Now its too late unfortunately
Of course they exist. Look at MAGA "zombies for trump".
This comment section proves it even better.
Arrogance and ignorance towards all the smaller countries around. Russians have "collected" over centuries a vaste country where they can live in widely autharc. No real interest in other people. All is about Russian, military and war.
They dont want to know how bad their army is doing as they still have the Soviet mentality of hiding their heads in the sand.What will be interesting is asking the same question once they are defeated and kicked out of Ukraine.
Why don't you go and help Ukraine kick them out
I think they know that if they are filmed talking about it they could end up in jail for 15 years. Give them a break. Putin is evil but it's not as if they voted for him. He would kill them too if it helped him.
You really think Russia is going to be kicked out of Ukraine? Lol! Stop watching news owned by billionaires
yes i fully agree. ukraine will win the war. Their army have the tech and the artillery personals is the top in the world.
I'll come back here once the war is over, though if Russia does win. Don't ever delete your comment.
It is truly amazing when your understand the brave Ukrainians are fighting for their lives just so they don’t become Russians. This video shows exactly what the Ukrainians have to lose.
Yes
Ukrainians and American NPCs are very racist and xenophobic against Russians
Well said
They want to be gay and mixed race like advanced westerners
@@ijusthatenormiesihavenooth1164 So Russians are not only scared of their leaders, they're also scared of gays and people of color. Very interesting.
I really like that first guy, a decent human
Hope he is still free
You like him because he shares your views, and you don’t like anyone that doesn’t. This is a very narrow minded way of thinking and frankly it’s a stretch to call it “thinking” at all
The Russian state has successfully created a society of politically apathetic people so the regime can go about its ways unchallenged from within.
That is what Trumpers want in the USA
@@Theire1 check your tds, it's embarrassing. I'm embarrassed for you.
@@KaiserS0ZE TDS? Isn't that the reflexive default defense of the Trump Cult? Asking for a friend ...
So true
That's all communist countries modus operandi. Terrorize and put their people in a state called learned helplessness so the corrupt ruling party can plunder the country with impunity.
The day will come when ruzzians will say: "why didn't we do anything", or "why didn't we do something earlier". Hopefully the latter.
I agree with you both, but it's a lot harder that you guys think.
It's also easier to say it in the future when you're still able to do so. This is the issue many there currently face. Fear is a powerful mechanism.
Нет не будет такого
It will never come. They'll always find a way to blame west
З Днем Незалежності України!
Ukraine will be celebrating 2 independence days every year pretty soon. Slava Ukraini
Спасибо, мой друг
слава России 💪🏻🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺💪🏻
сала окраине
@@packard0001 россии ,,кабдза "
Когда зрада с переможей уже будет
If you get prison for "discrediring the russian army" then the entire russian army should be inprisoned on the spot, since they have done a very good job at discrediting themselves.
Holy words
I'm glad that I was born in Ukraine, not in Russia. I can say what I want anout Zelenskiy everywhere and nobody will jail me. I can say everybody what I think about them and not to be afraid of criticism or further response. This is who I am and this is how I was raised. Glory to Ukraine!
1:31 That's why sanctions are important, these people don't care until they can't buy stuff
Hopefully, can’t buy bread.
@@bloggalot4718 actually, cell phones are more important than bread...
Russia has already been sanctioned, but Putin had turned the tide and the world's economy is also affected.
Reminds me of China very much
well china and north Korea basically copied communist USSR, brain washed the citizens into moral decay quite sad really.
Putin has accomplished many goals.
Expanding NATO, increasing NATO arms expenditure, reducing
European reliance on Russian gas and oil, etc.
Well done Putin!🙄🙂
Most of all, exposing how pathetically weak and inferior the Russian army is, vs the vastly superior weapon systems the West possessed.
You need to put the word sarcasm in brackets for those who might otherwise believe this.
Not sarcasm if it is true, is it?
Helping their number one enemy the US and its economy to expand as they help take over russias lucrative role in providing europes energy.
Truly Putin has made NATO stronger.
When your "special militairy operation" is going so great you have to scare people with 15 years of Russian jail to be enthusiastic about it, and most still choose to give no comment...
Amazing how indifferent they can be to the slaughter of innocent civilians. None of them are interested in what their government does. They are just as guilty as their leaders and soldiers because of their lack of concern.
I think they are concerned, but afraid to speak out, for fear of fine or imprisonment.
@@Richiesrant Concerned about the thousands of lives being destroyed by their nation....or by their shopping experience without ikea?
@@xdcfvghbjnk Concerned about going to jail for 5 years if they critizise anything, thats why
@@Tearstank And so they dont critizise anything and it will all become much much worse...also for the silent once.
Sounds like America tbh 🤔
I’ve just watched the news here in UK it’s all over the world people coming together for Ukraine today !
Amazing Russia are you blind ✌️❤️🇺🇦🇬🇧❤️🇺🇦✌️
Love England! 2/3ds my ancestors ended up there! Irish, English, Sicilian (Rome Invasion) Viking, Welsh, Dutch, German. I am a mutt.
Blind. And deaf. And dumb (as in silenced). Particularly dumb.
@@59thsurvivorofvhs think we all are here 😂❤️✌️
Just a small portion of the world actually supports Kiev regime. Only a gullible or stupid person could support such criminals.
@@59thsurvivorofvhs Mongrel blood = stronk
Racial purity is for pussies like Hitler
This is what happens when freedom of speech is limited. Remember that next time someone says something you don't like and you want a word banned. It leads to atrocities.
Kind of reminds me what the republicans are doing with book banning in public schools.
"When you cut out a mans tongue you prove not that he is a liar but that you fear what he might say". Dunno if I quite got that exactly right but still.
Most of russians strongly believe that freedom of speech is a useless toy, or vice invention of West, dangerous for their country
So, are you free to use the N word? Show us how free you are. smh
Google, deleting videos, comments, accounts. Fascists.
Not wanting to speak about it, that is fine. Your have the right not to speak, not to have an opinion.
Pretending you don't care about what is happening or that you don't know what it is happening is a whole different matter.
We had the same situation in the 70's with General Franco, in Spain. I was a political dissent and I left the country when I was 18 years old, I refused to go to the Army. The Police went to my parent's house several times looking for me. When I was 14 years old my mother always advised me " son please never talk about politics on the Street ".
Yes - and my Spanish wife, at university in Madrid in the 70's, recalls police bursting into classes, armed with their usual machine guns, to confiscate illegal poetry...
Some people are really sad that they can’t buy some stuff anymore and don’t give a fuck about dying Ukrainians and are openly admitting it
Russia people or their leaders don't give a dump about human life as we saw how they run over pedestrian daily basis like normal routine
That's russian mentality for you
i wouldn't want to live in a country where i was scared to answer questions, you're welcome to it
Exactly and no thank you…
I’m pretty sure those citizens will have a ‘point of view’ when the standard of their economy declines into a USSR state! .....good luck with that Rusky 🤣🇺🇦
five stages of grief are: denial; anger; bargaining; depression; acceptance.
If you are Russian and live in Russia, this is what you have to prepare for.
Thank me later 😏✌🏻
I am not Russian, but thank you. That is me looking at my investments every day.
Those two clowns at 1:28 appear to be draft age. Maybe they'll get a chance to be interested in the war soon enough, whether they like it or not.
The haircut requirement alone would be a horror for these two let alone combat.
putin can't afford mass mobilisation - it's a political death for him
That's why it didn't happen & won't happen, he'd rather lose than start mass mobilisation
They live in Moscow and don't look like the poorest people either. There are a lot more desperate youngsters that will be sent before them..
@@PradedaCech Ya, big cities pretty much doesn't suffer because that's where protests can start. putin understands that
Robots
poor russia with poor people :/
Nothing poor about being idiot, you don't understand anyway
@TFactory The funny thing about propaganda is that it goes both ways. It can be made to paint the truth as well as fiction, but the fact is Russia is one of the best countries to weather economic sanctions because they can source their own raw materials in their own borders. Anything else, they can import from China. The amount of Western goods that will slip in through unauthorized channels is also impossible to stop. The country ranks in at least the top 5% of global income per capita, when accounted for on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, and last I checked over 80% of Russians own their own home, compared with 62% in the USA. I think they are doing fine, personally.
Gee they dont look very poor.
@@NUCLEARARMAMENT Of course you do, you little russian soul less bot. You say nothing of this invasion of independent Ukraine but you are so well versed in how well russia is doing. Time will tell. Let's see how putin will put the screws to Europe.
@@NUCLEARARMAMENT To be a nobody amongst nobodies doing as your master bids is not doing fine for me personally. Propaganda is not facts as
youve just proved in your own effort at it.
I worked on a sheep farm one school holidays in 1971 . Watching this clip I was struck by the extraordinary resemblance of the Russian public to simple-minded herdable livestock. Can Russians actually function without being coerced? Perhaps this result of intergenerational authoritarianism is what inspired Lysenko's catastrophic theories.
you better stop eating shit, maybe you'll feel better. 💩😆🐷
I prefer sheep.
I can’t imagine living in a place where my government forbids me to discuss a topic, and I accept that. These people should be on the streets demanding their rights….but they continue to accept it year after year…..it’s like they deserve to be oppressed
The Republicans salute Russia Hungary and other pro tyranny and autocratic societies. Men that rule like that need to be removed and humiliated.
Fear, remember Stalin? That's the same model that putin is using.
@@mikelbrenn111 Yep! And just is too. This reference to violence not too long after January 6 , is not sitting well with people . So they honestly believe that Trump shouldn’t be held accountable me
For anything that he has done.
people who trade freedom for security deserve neither
@@wackadakka3134 That is a very good point, and appears to be precisely what Russians have done....and I suspect in 2 - 3 years when this war has ground them down and sanctions have destroyed their economy, they will have neither
for those that support the war. you should hand the a army form and ask them to sign it.
*GOD BLESS UKRAINE!🇺🇦*
What a wonderful democracy Russia is 🤫
Is it me or does it seem like many Russians are afraid to even crack a smile?
I think it's you. Why would you crack a smile for no reason ?
@@underwater372 the best thing about a smile is that you never need a reason to make someone's day 😉
@@rossmackenzie7993 no, it's not you. In my travels in Asia over the years, I've encountered lots of Russia tourists. They're usually surly, unfriendly, & generally not a happy lot.
In an old documentary about the fall of the Soviet Union, a Russian was narrating his observation on this disposition of the Russian people (in the context of the McDonald's that had opened). He said they had to train the McDonald's employees to smile & be cheerful & friendly. And it was something that did not come naturally. It has it's roots in a culture of repression, paranoia, & distrust.
Sick country 😔
the vacant eyed pigeons are a good analogy
How pathetic of the Russian government to treat its own people this way .
It reminds me of the tale: "the king is naked".
It would be better if the King was dead tho.
No comment means, Russia is in the wrong!!
So scared to answer, what a "country"
No Russian would want to appear on "Radio Free Europe sponsored by the American government"
They don't realize their silence will not protect them.
If they don't care... then they won't care if they lost and the mighty Russian army comes home with it's tail between it's legs? I bet they won't be so indolent then!
'A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves' - Edward R Murrow (1908-1965)
there are parallels to be drawn with the german population when hitler was on the rise.
'while individual decisions not to resist may be understandable, cumulatively they allow the oppressive state apparatus to exercise its power and thus to endure'
If you don't pay attention to politics... politics will pay attention to you soon or later and not necessarily in a good way
Heads in the sand.
A lot of scared people, understandably. But a lot of intentionally looking away, too. Reminds me of German civilians during the Nazi regime.
"No, no, i am not into politics !"
Well, politics are comming to you very soon !
Yes, you totalitarian, intolerant leftists will see to that, won’t you? Leftists are a cancer to be excised.
What a freedom of speech! Amazing. How lucky they are. I wish I could have that. (sarcasm, obviously! I'm a EU citizen).
you can smell the fear from those people!
If these Russians don't know what's happening, they can ask other Russians who fled from Crimea back to Russia though, they've had quite experience there.❤ Slava Ukraine!
🐷💩😆
They do know but they decide to do nothing about it
@@frankiecalsone8536 You piece of💩💩💩 , don't ruin the fresh air.
"All we know is no matter the situation and our culpability, we're always the victims."
Those who don’t answer don’t agree with it, but are afraid to end up in jail.
I can have some sympathy for those people. But for the ones that actively defend Putin's actions, I have nothing but disgust.
@@jacqdanieles agreed. Some repeat the party line, but may roll their eyes or laugh, since they don’t believe it, but don’t want to go to jail.
The price of living in a police state. Those people were scared. Not the first guy… He may be in a lot of trouble now.
What a total and disgusting lack of humanity shown here by all but the first. Well done to the first guy, you were the only one with a heart, mind and eyes! Slava Ukraine!! :) x
Expected nothing more out of someone who calls people disgusting just because they would rather not be jailed
@@Insert-Retarded-Reply-Here That's just another reason I am disgusted :/
@@migproductions4045 so they let you have RUclips access from jail? That’s nice
Wow!
That is a lot of repress humans...
I always wonder how such regimes recruit so many willing individuals to carry out their unjust actions. Like police that arrests people for voicing their opinion, or judges to convict them of a "crime".
Carrot and stick. Bribe and beat. Threaten and kill. Most of all though . Propaganda.
One more notch to take down their delusions of grandeur of being a superpower and future empire. The sooner they get over it the better.
Nice touch with the pigeons at the end; most russian people have about the same agency as those pigeons.
Exactly! That was a great little edit.
You can not get more censored than this.
Control the media and you control their thoughts and behaviours. No different than Pavlovs dogs.
Snowden, Assange?
Ignorance is Bliss….
It's easy to talk about the cowardice of others when you don't live under a dictatorship.
I was an engineering lecturer and had the opportunity to go and lecture behind what was called the iron curtain in the 80's and early 90's. I often met with the people socially, with Hungarians, Poles and Czechs. Few of them were happy with their situation. Very few would speak out, it really was not safe to voice your opinion, you didn't know who you could trust of who may overhear you, it wasn't so much cowardice in the sense that it would not be just the person who spoke out who suffered but his family as well. A married man who loved his wife and children would not want them to suffer for him voicing his opinion. This is the beauty of socialism, it has operated like this in every socialist country you can name. Please don't tell me Putin and his Russia are not still living in the good old days of the USSR. You heard it, "to speak out or criticise or even call it a war carries a prison sentence." It isn't cowardly to protect your family. Nor is it the strong, heroic Russia that they try to convince us they are, as we can clearly see from their army's poor performance in Ukraine. I have seen socialism up close, this is it and I despise it.
I also experienced Venezuela in the early, heady days of their revolution, how happy they were. They're not happy now are they?
So I say Slava Unraini and to hell with Putin.
Unlike its predecessor the USSR, Russia is not a Socialist State. Russians are free to live and work where they want. Businesses control their own strategies, and are profit driven. An example of a pure Socialist State is North Korea.
But like the old USSR, Russia is clearly a dictatorship, his time with a single strongman leader.
Putin is doing what every other person inheriting too much power does. The culprit is yeltsin, he was the first to dissolve the parliament and Russian democracy and he was the first to consolidate power to the “president” (now dictator). Putin may have blood on his hands, but Yeltsin gave him the knife.
What a great way to live your life in fear and denile.
Hear no evil, see no evil
I'm greatful to live in a country where there is freedom of speech ...it's a pity for Russian citizens....sooo sad
This is what happens when there is no freedom of speech. You keep quiet so you don't ruin your life, which means no protests, which also means those in power (leaders and oligarchs) can do anything they want.
This is what being scared into submission looks like.
What is it with Russians and being provoked 😆
How do countries handle dissent and freedom of speech is good measure how evolved and mature they are.
Nation of 'heroes".
NO visa for Russia in EU
@@alexanders.6806
No Russians in the west! Let them stay at home and be STRONG and POWERFUL people... While being afraid to speak and hold a blank paper up in the town square.
That is what he favours.
Sounds like support for a ban.
On Dragnet back in the day, some people "didn't want to get involved" when there was a crime. They were scared. Same deal here. Fear of retribution. Either that or just stupidity.
Probably both…
In watching this video, I am haunted by the images of the bodies of dead Russian soldiers lying wherever they fell.
People asked themselves how could german people allow to come Hitler to power. Here we see the answer.
Bunch of spineless cowards.
@bidigiboy They are too afraid to change an oppressive regime. It’s their choice
It's like asking intelligent questions at a maga rally ... crickets.
MAGA rallies are pure forms of freedom of speech. I have no problem with that
guess you could have taken the same kind of interviews in germany 1943.
Hey it's nice to see people smiling. Here, in Ukraine, you don't see too many smiles anymore for some reason.
They go through life with their heads in the sand.
Russian mother: If my son dies in combat, then the Kremlin will reward me with a red Lada. Of course I care!
Their silence and political apathy has allowed this to happen.
Watching a docu on Navalnyj (who should be the president imo) and my heart breaks for the russian people. Hope they are free of Putin and his gangsters soon.
Big thumbs up. Navalny & his team is pretty much the only hope for Russia left.
@@TransistorLSD I have hope for them. History has shown that things can turn on a dime in Russia.
What universe do you live in? Your heart breaks for the russian people? Is it breaking at all for the Ukrainian people? Look how they decimated Mariupol. Look at the refugees out of Ukraine. Look at the targeting of ordinary residents. For what? I think you are a little russian bot. Slava Ukraini!
@@thebusybee7080 It is possible to have two thoughts in your head at the same time. Are you familiar with Navalnyj? You do realize that many Russians are AGAINST Putin and his war? Yes I am also for Ukraine, but don't think every Russian citizien wants this. That's like thinking every US citizen was for the Iraq war.
@@feonor26Yes I know who Navalny (no j) is. But do you think he has a hope? Do you really think putin would allow him to increase his presence in russia? And if as you say that
"many" russians are against putin, how on earth would YOU know? But the main thing is that those opposers of putin do not speak up, they know he would snuff them. When it comes to a dictator like putin, you're not dealing with "rational". And again I respond to your comment that your heart breaks for the russian people. They are sitting in their unbombed homes, eating food, living their lives comfortably. My heart does not break for them.
That's great Russians 👍 just keep your heads in the sand and don't worry about what you're government is doing. I think one day the good people of Russia will find the courage to care about the rest of the world.
Люди России должны иметь право сказать что думают. К сожалению, сейчас видно что не могут.
COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Here most use the OSTRICH SYNDROME
When MOSCOW gets bombed it will be too late
This is sad. Sad that people has fear to say what they are thinking.
“They are doing what they are supposed to be doing”!? What? Running away? 🤣
In these kinds of videos it's the older people especially who refuse to say anything. They remember the Bad Old Days.
No russian would like to join the special landing operation from the 5th floor of a hospital.lol
Sorry no excuses. There is the moment in time where you are guilty because you didn't say anything. I'm German this is simply the history of my country.
I hope one day they can speak their minds without fear.
That's exactly what they're doing right now/there. They're being themselves.
You generally have to fight for that right. Most of them are just clearly hopeless and have given up, it's sad to watch.
@@ahmed-the-great Well, it's until putin is strong & has enough money to feed his police machine. Once illusion of strength & control is broken, for example by ukrainian army, things might change.
@@ahmed-the-great They chose it. It is sad to watch what they have done to Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!
@@TransistorLSD Get real. You are talking nonsense. Even if Ukraine is able to beat them back, the country is being slowly decimated. Things will never change in russia - look at their people. Not very many dissidents. putin knows they can be bought with money. Look at the young guy at the end who cares only about sanctions preventing him from buying what he wants. That is the future of this soul less country.
I don't see they afraid of anything. What I see that they don't bother to talk with a Western news/radio that they experienced unfriendly.
One hand, they don't want to be provoked and in the other hand, they still want to keep their good attitude toward the viewers. That's why most of them refuse to talk
And this is a preview of what the right wants here in the U.S.. Get out and vote while you can.
"Several generations of slaves identified with the greatness of their empire and Putin promised to heal the national wounds: the time of chaos was over, Russia would regain its place at the head of the world". Mikhail Shishkin, one of the greatest Russian writers of the 21st century
One of the major indications of a free society is the ability to criticise the government. No freedom here.
Tell me you're in a totalitarian state without telling me you're in a totalitarian state
Создаётся впечатление, что ответы склмпелированы так, чтобы у зрителя создавалось превратное, искаженное впечатление. Очень много людей переживают из-за того что происходит. Не надо обходить их стороной.
The last girls are probably too scared to answer. Always keep in mind if you speak against the war youll end up in a cell.
Lots and lots and lots of scared people!
Orcs and cowards. Let them rot.