by Edward Steen, Vienna, April 6, 2022
Is Putin now himself trapped in the e lunatic narrative of his own relentless propaganda and the 
silencing of independent Russian media? Both Meduza editor Ivan Kolpakov (now in exile in Latvia) and Russian-American writer Julia Ioffe believe that’s exactly what has driven a claimed 81 per cent of Russians who believe Putin must now deliver what he promised with his war in Ukraine. “The Russian propaganda machine has trained the Russian public to want blood. “And now they want blood,” she told CNN’s Ben Stelter’s Reliable Sources programme. Does he now fear demonstrations by pro-war protesters at home who think the “special operation” has not gone far enough?
The CNN clip describes the furious protests by prominent pro-Putin figures such as Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (right) at what the president appeared to intend in the Istanbul talks a few days ago – a climb-down dressed up as a victory? That way out now seems to be barred too.
LINKS
- Meduza fights on to provide news to Russians (and the rest of us) – but cannot obtain any further funds from its subscribers in Russia: “You can’t stop this war without providing independent information in Russia,” says editor Ivan Kolpakov.
- CNN’s Ben Stelter’s Reliable Sources on media
- Prof Fukuyama on Putin’s existential war for vision no-one wants
- NYT Live updates 06/04/22 Mariupol Red Cross convoy stalled again