The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Bloomberg
After unleashing a wave of repression to crush opposition to his war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin is moving to shape attitudes among young Russians with a program of patriotic education in schools.
Teachers nationwide are being ordered by the Education Ministry to deliver a special lecture on Sept. 12 titled “Our Country – Russia†that quotes Putin’s justification for what he calls the “special military operation†in Ukraine. It argues that Russia invaded to protect its security and stop the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance from establishing bases in Ukraine.
Putin told school students at a televised meeting Thursday to mark the new academic year that young people should be told why Russian soldiers are fighting and in many cases dying in Ukraine since he ordered the Feb. 24 invasion. Nato had no timeframe to accept Ukraine as a member, and the government in Kyiv had no plans to host Nato bases.
Much of the world rejects Russia’s defense of the war that has caused thousands of deaths, sent millions fleeing from their homes and inflicted huge destruction on Ukrainian towns and cities. Russian troops have been accused of war crimes, while Ukrainian resistance aided by supplies of US and European weapons dashed Kremlin hopes for a swift victory. Tens of thousands of Russian troops have been killed or wounded, according to estimates by the US and its allies.
The intervention in schools comes as recent opinion polls by the independent Levada Center show young Russians are less enthusiastic about the war than older groups and that they rely far less on state TV for information, preferring social media where there’s a much wider range of sources and views beyond the Kremlin’s control.
The war lecture is part of a new weekly program starting Monday that aims to cultivate patriotic and traditional values in schools.