Russia’s state-controlled news media have received instructions from the Kremlin’s domestic policy team to portray this week’s negotiations in Turkey as a distinctly Moscow-driven event. Propagandists are advised to stress that “neither anything Donald Trump said nor anything Zelensky declared” influenced how Vladimir Putin assembled Russia’s delegation. The core public message is continuity, underscored by the return of presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Moscow’s delegation during the last Istanbul talks in 2022. The Kremlin instructed media outlets to emphasize that his role in this week’s negotiations is “only logical.”
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No surprises there; state TV has been increasingly under the Kremlin’s thumb ever since Putin took office; it is safe to call them propaganda outlets now.
Glad to hear from Meduza’s English language section again! Their podcast had a lull but also has new episodes now; recommended.