"The war has given enormous public exposure to what’s known as Russia’s 'Z community' — pro-war volunteers, military bloggers and ultranationalists..."

"... who want to see a total subjugation of Ukraine.... The 'turbopatriots'... fought on the front lines and were rewarded with an increased social status in wartime Russian society. For decades regarded by the Kremlin as a volatile source of potential opposition, these ultranationalist figures were harnessed to advance the government’s message on the necessity of the bloody, grinding war. But they have also emerged as a rare source of criticism of… Putin.... The Z community and Russia’s ultranationalists have been especially critical in recent weeks of the euphoric response in Russia to Trump’s seemingly more Moscow-friendly approach — and even more so since this week’s talk of a possible ceasefire.... 'What is our specific Russian joy here?' asked nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin on Telegram after the widespread Russian delight over last month’s Oval Office confrontation between Zelensky and President Donald Trump.... The confusion has been felt especially keenly along the front, where many Russian soldiers believe that rather than just taking on the Ukrainians, they have been fighting a war against NATO and the United States, having experienced firsthand the devastating impact of U.S.-provided weapons to Ukraine."

From "If peace comes, Putin could face the ire of his most hard-line backers/Vladimir Putin and his propagandists convinced many in Russia that there was an existential battle against the U.S. Now they have to deal with a thaw in U.S.-Russian relations" (WaPo).