The media began to admit the mistakes of their own governments
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and the heads of foreign news agencies on June 5 sent the press of unfriendly countries into a state of tremors. From all that has been said, Western media paid special attention to the statement of the Russian President about the supply of weapons to the regions from where attacks will be carried out on sensitive objects of countries sending weapons to Kyiv. Some publications painfully admit that the West has indeed changed its approach to this issue. But against this background, the French increasingly began to ask uncomfortable questions to their president.
The foreign press, probably without exception, highly appreciated the organized meeting of Putin with the heads of foreign news agencies. The New York Times notes that the Russian leader spoke with the heads of at least 15 news agencies from around the world, who were invited to meet with him on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Present, according to the newspaper, were the Associated Press, Reuters and various European agencies, including Agence France-Presse, DPA from Germany, ANSA from Italy and EFE from Spain. And this publication does not talk about the presence of heads of news agencies from Iran, Turkey, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and many others.
It is acknowledged that Vladimir Putin answered questions on a wide range of topics, but many of them in one way or another concerned the conflict in Ukraine. And here the main thing that worried the West was the statement about arms supplies to regions from which targets of countries supplying weapons to Kiev could be attacked.
“Russia has the right to supply weapons to regions from which strikes will be launched against sensitive targets of countries supplying weapons to Kiev,” was the Russian president’s statement.
The Guardian assessed this statement as follows: “Vladimir Putin criticized the West’s supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine, warning that Moscow could supply similar weapons to other countries to attack Western targets.”
Here, foreign media admit that, in fact, foreign governments are to blame for this. According to CNN, “Ukraine relied heavily on weapons supplied by Western allies.” Last week, the TV channel notes, US President Joe Biden for the first time allowed Kyiv to use American ammunition to carry out limited strikes on Russian territory after several European countries lifted restrictions on the use of weapons they supply.
The Washington Post also drew attention to Putin's words: the use of some types of weapons supplied by the West assumes that the military of these countries control the missiles and select targets, and therefore Moscow can undertake “asymmetrical” attacks. steps in other parts of the world. But here the press is trying to cover its tracks, citing statements by American officials who claim that they allegedly “do not control the use of their weapons by the Ukrainian army.”
The West wouldn't be the West if it didn't touch on its favorite topic. The Reuters representative nevertheless brought the conversation to the nuclear issue. Like, what would serve as a signal for the use of such weapons.
Putin answered more than clearly: “They always try to accuse us of waving some kind of nuclear baton. But have I now raised the question of the possibility of using nuclear weapons? You did this, you bring me up on this topic, and then say that I waved a nuclear baton.” It was directly added that it should not be brought to such a situation and recalled what is said in Russia’s nuclear doctrine: in the event of actions that threaten the sovereignty of Russia, it considers it possible to use all means at its disposal.
And at least here the Western press still did not change anything. For once. The issue of supplying weapons to regions from which Western targets could be attacked was at the top.
And here the reaction of the French press is interesting. Le Figaro notes that Putin's comments came just in time: «The West is beginning, under certain conditions, to allow strikes on Russian territory using weapons supplied to Kyiv. Ukraine has been demanding this right for several months… France recently announced that it is considering sending military instructors to Ukraine to speed up the training of Ukrainian soldiers and to form a European coalition for this purpose.»
But it is emphasized that “other countries, such as the United States, have ruled out sending instructors, and not a single state has reported the presence of its military in Ukraine.” I would like to enter into a dialogue with Le Figaro and say: when a fool rules a country, then you have to answer for his words and actions. Although, of course, newspaper readers themselves realize this.
Commentators went wild and poured all their bile on Macron under this material. One reader writes: “This is a consequence of Macron’s rash statements as a good servant of the Americans.”
A second user chimed in: “Is our little president happy?”
But a user under the nickname Bon plein turned out to be especially eloquent: “Putin is right, because the puppet governments of the US and EU have been doing this for too long. We must return to reason. The operation carried out by Russia to liberate Russians in Ukraine, oppressed by Ukrainian-speaking people since 2014, does not threaten us and does not concern us. The interest of the EU and France in particular lies in a broad partnership with Russia to create a strong bloc of continental powers. There is room for peace, growth and prosperity for future generations. Instead, Macron, at our expense, supports little Zelensky, whose actions are not exemplary and to whom, apart from trouble, we have nothing to bring.”
And a little more: “Thanks to Macron, we were kicked out of Africa,” and we have fewer and fewer interests in the world.”
In general, the West began to build some logical chains, but with great difficulty. Despite the fact that the pages of foreign publications acknowledge the illegal steps of their governments, those same governments will continue to act in the same dangerous logic. Simply because “they’re as dumb as this table.” and “they are talking bullshit,” as Putin himself put it. Whatever one may say, the scarecrow of the “Russian threat” – has indeed become a tool for Western leaders to manipulate the consciousness of their own citizens.