Ukraine

The article presents results of a study of young people’s attitude towards the Special Military Operation (hereinafter – the SMO). Data from monthly measurements carried out from March 2022 to January 2024 by Levada Center (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia), as well as the results of two online surveys (n = 2872) and a series of focus group interviews of young people (n = 74) conducted in November 2022 and November 2023 by employees of the Department of Political Science of Saratov State University are analyzed.

According to social surveys, the majority of Russian society as a whole supported the President’s decision to hold the special military operation (in what follows, the SMO). However, the level of this support appeared to be diff erent for diff erent social groups. It turned out, for example, that, compared with society in general, young people perceived the outbreak of hostilities more skeptical and critical. In this regard, this article is devoted to the analysis of the features and factors of formation of such an attitude of young people towards the SMO.

The article contains the results of the opinion polls concerning the way people evaluate public diplomacy potential in Saratov region. The role of mobility of near abroad states’ citizens, as well as networks of personal and kindred contacts in developing public diplomacy practices is defined.

The article is devoted to the study of the content of the positions of Russian political parties on the issues of settlement of international crises and internal armed internationalized conflicts directly affecting the interests of the Russian Federation. The analysis of the party programmatics during the election campaigns of 2016–2018 and at the present stage has demonstrated a significant interest of parliamentary and other parties in carrying out effective foreign policy activities of the Russian Federation in this area.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of media support for the actions of the Russian authorities in shaping the attitude of young people to the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine. The results of sociological surveys are analyzed regarding the level of interest and concern of young people about what is happening within the framework of the SMO, as well as their approval of the course towards a forceful solution to the conflict and the most preferable prospects for the further development of the situation.