Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Russia’s in the midst of an election campaign – it just happens to be in Ukraine, Kirillova says

Putin the TV Puppet Master (Image: Zina Saunders)
Putin the TV Puppet Master (Image: Zina Saunders)
Edited by: A. N.

Anyone who watches Moscow television would assume the country was in the midst of an election campaign – there are learned discussions of who will win and why, what participation is likely to be, and what role if any outside players have in determining the outcome, Kseniya Kirillova says.

Kseniya Kirillova
Kseniya Kirillova

And he or she would be right, the Russian media is in the midst of an election campaign but it is a campaign taking place not in Russia where competitive elections for president haven’t occurred in decades but in Ukraine where they have become an entirely normal phenomenon, the US-based Russian journalist says.

[quote]To be sure, Kirillova continues, the Russian commentators put their own spin on events in Ukraine about which as things stand now they must say only bad things of nothing at all; but it is clear that they are taking a certain vicarious pleasure in the kind of competition a real election offers and that they haven’t seen in their own country in some time.[/quote]

What is not known is whether Russians are receiving the message the Kremlin wants delivered or whether they are seeing in all this reporting a system that they can easily recognize as likely to be far more responsive to the demands of ordinary people than is the case in their own country.

In a word, the journalist says, “Ukraine yet again has given Moscow the chance to play at the imitation of the political process” it doesn’t allow at home, a dangerous game to be sure because some of its audience may decide that a competitive democracy is exactly what they themselves would like to have.

As a result, Kirillova continues, “one cannot but agree with the precise ironic commentary of Ivan Davydov about ‘the Ukrainian occupation of Russia.’ [quote]By means of the Kremlin’s efforts, Ukraine already for six years has successfully controlled the Russian information space and defined the worldview of Russians and their agenda.”[/quote]

According to the Russian journalist, “the Kremlin will do everything possible to extend this occupation for as long as possible,” clearly not aware that it is engaged in something that could backfire on it in ways exactly the opposite of what it clearly hopes for and even expects.

Read More:

Edited by: A. N.
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts