Vladimir Putin’s campaign for his fifth term in office will not draw attention to the war in Ukraine. Instead, it will “focus on foreign affairs” by criticizing Western countries in Putin’s speeches and propaganda materials. The Kremlin hopes this approach will portray Putin as the man responsible for turning Russia into an “island of tranquility,” two people close to his administration say.

According to the sources, Russia’s leaders are confident that there’s demand among voters for criticism of the “collective West.” “Whenever the president speaks about this issue, criticizing [the West], we see his approval ratings go up,” one of them said.