Despite three and half years of grinding international sanctions due to the Ukraine war, Russian grocery store shelves remain full, and there's little evidence people are going without their creature comforts.

However, as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepare for their summit in Alaska on Friday, a tipping point may have finally arrived for the Russian people, left physically and economically separated from the West.

Moscow's heavy war-related spending has led to higher salaries and increased consumer spending. But it's also caused higher inflation, which is now cutting deeply into economic growth, says Alexander Kolyandr, a senior researcher for the Center for European Policy Analysis in London.

The situation is reflected in the attitudes of many people with whom CBC News spoke. Russ

See Full Page