As the 100-day mark in a war he refuses to call by name approaches, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to give the impression that everything is normal.
Putin was making awkward small talk in a televised ceremony honouring parents of exceptionally large families as his army fought its way into the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk this week.
Since the beginning of May, he has met – mostly online – with educators, oil and transportation executives, forest fire officials, and the heads of at least a dozen Russian regions, many of which are thousands of miles away from Ukraine.
Along with several Security Council meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders, he made time for a video address to All-Russian Night Hockey League players, trainers, and spectators.
The appearance of solid, even boring routine fits the Kremlin’s narrative that it is not fighting a war, but rather waging a ‘special military operation’ to bring a troublesome neighbour to heel.
Putin shows no visible signs of stress, despite the fact that his army has underperformed in Ukraine and has been beaten back from its two largest cities, resulting in untold thousands of casualties.
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