One of the most striking differences between the Russian and Western media is the fact that the topic of a possible war is constantly discussed in the former and almost never in the latter. In Russia, the main news shows discuss the risks of war, as do a lot of well-known personalities, and on talk-shows this is a recurrent topic. Even Putin recently had to declare that he did not believe that a war was likely. It is as if both Russia and the West were like two trains on the same tracks, going at full speed towards each other but with one big difference: the western "train" is steaming forward with its eyes closed, while the Russian train is going forward with its eyes wide open.
The second big difference is the rage and determination which are expressed by Russians of all walks of life. The most often heard sentence now is "Русские не сдаются" (Russians don't surrender). Russians find it amazing and absolutely crazy that the western "leaders" have apparently convinced themselves that the Russians will "blink" and let Obama scare them into not standing up for the Donbass. The mood is "if you really want a fight, then we will give you one".
One example if in the Russian social media and the blogosphere. Today, a reader posted a link to a Russian video (thanks!) which I want to post here and I will add a video I saw earlier.
Please watch these videos and don't be too quick to dismiss them as irrelevant. They are an expression of the mood of a big part of the Russian society which has mentally already entered what I would call a "war mode". To ignore these "social warning" would be a huge mistake. I have been saying that over and over again, Russia is ready for war. It gives me no pleasure to say that (actually it scares me), but I think that this warning must be circulated as widely as possible: Russia will not "blink" and Russia will not surrender. Russia will not attack first - that is utter nonsense - but if she is attacked, she will strike back with everything she has.
The Saker