The State Duma said for the first time that Russia cannot withstand a long war in Ukraine and must end it

The Russian economy will not withstand a long continuation of the SVO, and therefore “the speedy completion of the SVO is simply necessary,” said State Duma deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Renat Suleymanov. This is probably the first such statement made by a State Duma deputy. Suleymanov made his statement amid a noticeable change in political rhetoric ahead of the fall elections.
Details. Suleymanov spoke about the need to end the war in an interview with the publication Continent of Siberia, answering a question about how the possible termination of peace negotiations in Ukraine “will affect the country’s budget in the future.”

• ️ Suleymanov responded that “it is absolutely obvious that the economy will not withstand a long continuation of the SVO.” “Officially, 40% of the federal budget is defense and security. What kind of development, investments, capital investments can we talk about? Neither tanks nor shells have consumer value: the economy produces them, but they cannot be consumed by the population,” Suleymanov said. According to him, such expenses “provide employment and wages in the defense industries, act as a kind of driver,” but “at the same time lead to inflation and a reduction in other expenses - social, investment.”
• * ️ Quote *. “Therefore, the speedy completion of the SVO is simply necessary. The special operation has lasted longer than the Great Patriotic War. God willing, it will end in victory, and not an intermediate result,” the deputy said.
• ️ If you simply reduce military spending, “there will be no fewer problems,” the parliamentarian believes. “Adopting a budget with a reduction in military spending is not the most difficult thing. What will happen to people employed in the defense industry? With those who are now under arms? A million people will return to civilian life. Where are the jobs, decent wages, social adaptation?” - said the deputy.
• ️ Suleymanov also stated the need for “colossal budget expenditures” on the “restoration of new territories” where “there are no houses or Soviet irrigation left.”
• ️ At the beginning of the war, Suleymanov, who was elected to the State Duma in 2021, said that “we need to negotiate with Kiev only on the terms of surrender.” In September 2022, he said that mobilization “is a dire necessity to ensure victory.”

Context. The approach of elections also affects representatives of other parties. In recent weeks, deputies and potential parliamentary candidates from United Russia have begun to criticize restrictive measures that they previously initiated or publicly supported, in particular, drug labeling of works of art, video game bans, and regulation of artificial intelligence.

• ️ Members of the parliamentary opposition oppose blocking on the Internet.
• ️ The change in rhetoric occurs against the background of changes in the mood of voters. In April, the head of the presidential department for public projects, Sergei Novikov, said that “society is tired of prohibitive rhetoric.” A week later, Vladimir Putin called on deputies and senators “not to get hung up” on prohibitions and punishments. “Excessive barriers hinder development,” Putin said.
• ️ Since the end of February, social services have recorded a drop in the ratings of the authorities, including Vladimir Putin.