A bill proposed by the State Duma, the parliament of Russia, stipulates that across the entire country, students must be required to use sports attire in the colors of the federal flag during physical education classes.
„It is necessary to standardize the sports uniform for school physical education classes. It seems reasonable to obligate schools to choose a uniform in three colors – white, blue, red, the colors of our flag,” stated deputy Serghie Kolunov, as quoted by the RIA Novosti agency.
„This way, we will reinforce the fact that we are all Russians and, furthermore, we will eliminate inequalities among students, as some cannot afford branded equipment and expensive footwear, and the introduction of uniforms will strengthen patriotic values,” added the deputy, pointing out that in the difficult period Russia is going through, nationalism is Putin’s only salvation.
It has been 11 days since Ukrainian troops entered Kursk, and the entire political structure at the Kremlin is shaking.
Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency in the western region of the country, military operations to liberate the territory have been placed under the control of the FSB, and Valery Gherasimov, the head of the army, has fallen out of the president's circle of trust.
Lukashenko Wants Peace
The impact on Russian society is significant. Suddenly, the Kremlin must manage over 100,000 refugees, make decisions to transfer military troops from other areas, and devise a battle plan unfolding on the country's territory, something unimaginable two and a half years ago.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the survival of the Russian colossus also depends on the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.
For two years, in 2020 and 2021, massive protests against Lukashenko's regime took place in Minsk and other cities in the country. The latter was saved only with the help of Putin, who sent special intervention forces to suppress the protests and arrest thousands of people.
Can Putin still help his friend now, when Ukrainian troops are operating in Russia?
"Let's sit down at the negotiating table and put an end to this fight. Neither the Ukrainian people, nor the Russians, nor the Belarusians need it," declared Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, sending a message to Putin that they must quickly end the war if they want to survive.
The President of Belarus was the one who negotiated last year with Evgeny Prigozhin, who has since been removed, the end of the Wagner mercenaries' revolt heading towards Moscow. Lukashenko is Putin's most important and closest ally.
Russia Between Patriotism and Fatalism
In Russia, concern is manifesting in two directions. One, the propagandistic one, through which Putin seeks to impose increasingly harsh measures on citizens in order to obtain forced support for the war - general mobilization, censorship, patriotism, and individual sacrifice, exemplified suggestively by the sports equipment law.
The second one, a fatalistic one, already expressed in some televised debate shows, suggests acceptance of the situation, negotiations, and compromises to end the war as quickly as possible.
These days, Putin is concerned with maintaining his authority to prevent everything from collapsing around him. Discussions in the Security Council are not made public, but the meetings are announced, promoting the idea that the elite is working for the country's good.
But the atmosphere is heavy. Many young people are afraid of a general mobilization and are trying to leave the country, and in institutions, there is great concern about the regime's ability to save itself.
"From the moment the war reached their territory, it was evident that the Russians were scared. They are shocked. Although the battles in the Kursk region are mentioned on TV as being <situation on the border>, families and friends have begun to whisper about the real situation on the front. Changes in the psychology of the Russian population will be another argument for starting peace negotiations," stated Mikhail Podoliak, advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
What the Ukrainian leader supports is confirmed by Karen Shakhnazarov, the general director of Mosfilm, a supporter of Putin, who in a TV show said that "Russians should also get used to the idea that they could lose the war."
Surprises for Putin
So far, there are no indications that Ukrainian forces have halted their military operations in the Kursk region or that the Kremlin's army is managing to withstand the attack.
There are still Russian military groups surrendering without a fight, while Kiev's soldiers continue to occupy villages and towns in the region.
Putin is under pressure to take action quickly, but he still does not have a clear intention to find a compromise.
He hopes to quickly conquer the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and liberate Kursk following the troop transfer, but the situation on the ground is disadvantageous for the Kremlin leader, who is not sure that the Ukrainians have not prepared other surprises.