Vladimir Putin makes a surprise visit to Mariupol

Vladimir Putin appears at the controls, as at home, in Mariupol (Ukraine). This is the first visit by the Russian president to a conquered area since the start of the invasion in Ukraine. It took place at night. He interacted with some locals. “It’s a little corner of paradise, here”entrusts a woman to him. “Well, we’ve got it bigger”, replies the president. Vladimir Putin poses as the builder of Mariupol, a city-martyrdom that his army pounded for months. He now wants to make it the showcase of the Russian conquest.

A message for the international community

This communication operation, intended to reassure the Russian population, is also aimed at the international community. “The fact that Vladimir Putin travels while he has been indicted by the international criminal court shows that he is ready to fight, and still in a position to be able to impose his agenda”analyzes Florent Parmentier, teacher at Sciences-Po and specialist in Russia.