As the days go by, and with Vladimir Putin having broad control over the perimeter of Ukraine but not total control over any of its major cities, the capital Kyiv among others, four things are happening: the Russian president is hardening his jingoistic rhetoric, and has spoken on the fourth day of war of putting all nuclear forces on alert; Russian public opinion is divided over Putin's war in Ukraine, hence the protests against him in several Russian cities, starting with Moscow; the European Union has got involved in the war and, beyond its economic sanctions, is to supply weapons to Volodymyr Zelensky's troops, and Germany, through its new chancellor, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, has announced an increase in military spending to bring it up to 2% of GDP. Finally, neutral Sweden has decided to send military aid to Ukraine in a far-reaching and unprecedented political initiative.
Although it is difficult to know for sure the exact situation of the military conflict, it does not seem to be at the point desired by Putin, who while he may have correctly assessed the military capacity of the Ukrainian army may not have counted on the level of civil resistance that is being mobilized. We are facing a conflict that is bloodier than might have initially been thought, and this may even mean that the ruthless Putin is facing a political variable which he didn't expect. Above all, because the home front could end up being a powder keg of citizen protest if Russian soldiers continue to die in significant percentages.
This point in the conflict has coincided with the first major demonstrations against the war —it would be better to say against Putin because war is only desired by one of the two sides in question— the most important of which has taken place in Berlin, where at least 100,000 people gathered in support of Ukraine at the Brandenburg Gate. At a lower level, several demonstrations also took place this Sunday in other European capitals, such as Paris, London, Rome and Lisbon.
This European response has not so far found a similar response in Barcelona, a capital which on other occasions has led major peace mobilizations such as those that took place in 2003 after the invasion of Iraq. It is to be expected that the Catalan government, Parliament and the different organizations will manage to join forces so that beyond the small-scale shows of solidarity with the Ukrainian population living in Catalonia that have taken place so far —this Sunday with the minister Alsina in Guissona— there is a major expression of revulsion against Vladimir Putin and his obsolete and dangerous imperialism.