The studies of the director of the Institute of Conflictology and Analysis of Russia confirm that there are deeply rooted anti-Ukrainian attitudes in Russian society that may lead to further acts of aggression against Ukraine. Open surveys indicate that Russians perceive Ukrainians as an object rather than a subject. Such prejudice can have dangerous consequences, potentially evolving into a real threat.
“In our questionnaires, there was a question: ‘If you could write a telegram to Ukrainians in a few words, what would you write?’. There were no structured answer options provided; this was an open question. Of course, the answers varied greatly, but when grouped, the prevailing tone was: ‘Hang in there, everything will be alright, we will save you.’ In other words, they did not demonstrate: ‘we will kill you, destroy you,’ but rather, ‘we will free you from oppression.’”
The research also shows that Russians perceive the conflict in Eastern Ukraine as an opportunity for profit, without feeling moral responsibility. According to Shulha, this attitude may lead to a new cycle of attack on Ukraine, where Russians do not hate Ukrainians, but seek to assimilate and control them, which has dangerous consequences.