Putin appeals to the past because he has nothing to offer Russians in the future - military historian Pavlov

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"The current rhetoric of the Kremlin has not changed in any way during the year of war. They cannot offer a vision of the future. Instead, they offer a vision of the past. Putin's statement that they have to return historical lands has nothing to do with the future. Everything they try to call the goals of this war is tied to the level of historical memory. However, this does not direct Russia into the future," Pavlov explained.

The historian noted that the Russian propaganda machine still uses the methods of Soviet propaganda

"In every Putin's speech, any references to World War II are similar to the worst stamps of Soviet propaganda, despite the fact that the modern Russian propaganda machine has created many elements and technologies. However, during the entire year of full-scale war, Russians choose the worst of all possible options. Why this is so remains a mystery to me," he added.

• On February 23, ISW analysts claimed that Vladimir Putin may be promoting narratives about "historical borders" to justify aggression against Moldova and Central Asia.