Last week, Russia saw intense discussion around Putin’s possible return to the international diplomatic stage, his invitation to the G20, and the prospects for negotiations. Our new monitoring examines how Russians responded to these diplomatic signals, as well as to new taxes and tariffs, drone attacks, and the ongoing fuel crisis.

We also track how the tone of everyday discussions changed after the elections – from expectations of rising costs to accusations that the authorities are making people’s lives worse.

The monitoring covers September 21-27, 2026, and is based on an analysis of regional communities on VKontakte and Telegram.