Putin is supprted by the russian people in the same way We supported Eisenhower & Reagan. All three had 60%+ approval ratings.
Putin’s approval rating is 80%. He has always paid close attention to his popularity.
At the same, Russia is entering the post-Putin era because he is a lamb duck and the Russian Constitution currently limits the President to two consecutive terms.
Nothing prevents him from changing the Constitution to eliminate term limits or to serve again as Prime Minister. He has plenty of time to decide on his options if he wants to remain in office after 2024.
Reagan and Ike didn’t control the state media like Putin..
So....