This point is quite telling: “Anti-Western sentiment, though by no means universal, has been inflamed by Putin and has taken a firm hold in the hearts and mind

This point is quite telling: “Anti-Western sentiment, though by no means universal, has been inflamed by Putin and has taken a firm hold in the hearts and minds of many Russian citizens – including, depending on the particular topic in question, among young people. “This is not going to change after Putin’s departure, in part because Russian society also suffers from a post-imperial syndrome characterized by a state of deep resentment towards the West, which to Russian eyes neither allows the country to remain a superpower nor has provided it with a decent place within the international system.” This might give some context to why many Russians seem to support this war. It seems more persuasive than the idea that they have all just been gulled by propaganda.