This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman.

We continue our coverage of Putin's war on Ukraine, this time getting the perspective

from inside Russia.

Russian Marxist sociologist activist and author Boris Kagelitsky joins us for the hour,

bringing us his analysis of the overall political, economic, and social situation in Russia

that he sees behind Putin's surprising decision and miscalculation to invade Ukraine.

We get Boris's inside perspective on the many reasons Putin's prestige and popularity

was plummeting in Russia, including electorally, that gives us a sense of public opinion and

public will.

Putin has implemented policies like pension reform and other measures that are more about

the colossal level of corruption than economic policy designed to deal with the declining economy.

We also get a picture of the sociopolitical divide in Russia between those who support Putin

in his war and those who oppose and bravely defy Putin.

Putin is losing this war and we hear Boris Kagelitsky's view of the multiple ramifications

of this fact when our program returns in just a moment.

This is Jacobin Radio, I'm Suzy Weisman, and we are now three weeks into Putin's war on Ukraine.

We're going to spend the hour with Boris Kagelitsky and Moscow to get his analysis of the situation

as well as the description of political and social life in Moscow and in Russia now.

So we've moved beyond the shock of the possibility of war to its actuality and then to the shock of

its brutal and destructive conduct. The war has also achieved much of what Putin railed against.

It's united a fractured Ukraine fighting back against Russia's war.

It's increased support for NATO instead of weakening it.

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