Putin's popularity takes a hit

The US Studies Centre Non-Resident Fellow James Brown says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s national popularity has taken a hit due to the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Brown told Sky News pressure was mounting on Putin due to the country’s poor economic state as a result of a drop in oil prices, worsened by the pandemic.

“We’ve seen some polling indicating a drop in support for the president, his numbers on approval for his response to the coronavirus are less than 50 per cent, we’ve seen a decline in support for him personally,” he said.

“The real canary in the coal mine would be an increase in protests about the economic situation across Russia.

“People are worried about their jobs, the government has a pretty hefty fund it can use to provide an immediate relief to the economic impact of the coronavirus but there are long term questions over its ability to prop up the economy.

“That will manifest in protests.”

Image: Getty