Russian state television program 60 minutes played the version of former US President Donald Trump and asked CPAC: “Do you still miss me?” Co-host Olga Skabeeva eagerly replied, “Yes, we do!”
Other experts from the Rossiya-1 network nod and agree. Trump’s departure has sucked the joy out of pro-Kremlin propaganda, with a host of new problems looming for Russia. Instead of a joyous boast about the “possession” of America’s president, Russian state television programs are now filled with gloomy experts, and discussions about the impending flood of U.S. sanctions are so tense that they are the experts on the point stand to succeed.
During the Trump years, the state media mouthpieces, strictly controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, put on a happy face and followed his lead by shouting that they want Trump to be elected only because he promised the relations between America and Russia. In the domestic talk shows and news programs, experts now appear, acknowledging that they prefer Trump’s presidency, especially since he was so devastating to the United States and its allies. After President Joe Biden was elected – despite Russia’s efforts to do the opposite – all pretensions fade into oblivion.
During his nocturnal program The evening with Vladimir Soloviev this Tuesday, leading state TV presenter Vladimir Soloviev exclaimed, “Why would America think we are interested in changing or improving our relations with them?” He added: “What makes them think we’re interested in a reset?” Soloviev predicted a “harsh and asymmetrical response” to Biden’s first round of sanctions that would include further hostilities in Ukraine, long seen in Moscow as one of the main battlegrounds in Russia’s struggle against the collective West.
The Biden government on Tuesday announced sanctions against seven Russian officials in response to the attack on Navalny, which was ignored by Trump.
On Russian state media platforms, hosts and experts agree that Russia is in a new Cold War with the United States, with far-reaching consequences for Ukraine and other countries around Russia. In February, Putin held a video conference meeting with heads of Russia’s largest media, which was held behind closed doors. Before the summit, the head of RT, Margarita Simonyan, traveled to the east of Ukraine and publicly argued that “Mother Russia should take Donbas home.” After the conference, Simonyan Putin quoted her as saying: “We will never leave Donbas. Ever. “She also acknowledged that America was a topic of discussion, but did not elaborate.
Experts and experts in Russian state media have repeatedly claimed that the United States has always been and will remain the sworn enemy of Russia. Appear on The evening with Vladimir Soloviev, Semyon Bagdasarov, director of the Moscow Center for Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, exclaimed: a war is being waged against us. Let’s name things for what they are. They are our enemies. They want to destroy us. “Some went even further. During the same show, Dmitry Kulikov, a member of the Zinoviev Club set up by Kremlin-controlled media giant Russia Today, argued that Americans should be viewed as a completely different kind of being, ‘the other’. Anyone who agrees with the United States – from Russian dissidents to European allies – will no doubt be painted with the same brush.
Russian propaganda operations are expanding, internationally and domestically, with larger budgets allocated to state media stores such as RT and RIA Novosti. Internally, the state media will seek to unite Russians against the collective West, led by the United States. Internationally, Russian state media and aligned troll farms will continue their efforts to incite divisions and hide the NATO alliances.
One of the consequences of President Biden’s election was the renewed commitment to trans-Atlantic unity, an unwelcome side effect for the Kremlin. Skabeeva of Russia’s 60 minutes described the coordination of the latest package of US and European sanctions against Russia for the attempted poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny bitterly as an example of ‘unity that was unheard of under Trump’. Andrey Sidorov, who appeared on Russia-1, the deputy dean of world politics at Moscow State University, expressed hope that the trans-Atlantic alliances had been damaged to the point of no return. He pointed out: “Trump will forever remain in the minds of American allies as an example of how the next government can handle this. They will always remember it. ‘
Without a hint of irony, Sidorov described the United States’ alleged intention to interfere in Russian elections as “the third phase” of the Cold War. According to this sign, Russia has been engaged in ‘the’ third phase ‘of the Cold War against the United States for years, after’ intervening and systematically intervening in the 2016 presidential election ‘, as set out in the findings of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Pro-Kremlin experts expected the upcoming cyber measures that would retaliate against Russia for its malicious activities against the US. 60 minutes“We laughed at Americans for how easily all their systems were hacked, perhaps by our hackers,” Alexei Naumov of the Russian Council on International Affairs said. But Americans have very strong cyber forces, offensive cyber forces. This can be a threat to us. “Co-host Skabeeva came in cold:” At the same time, we elected their president and they could not choose ours, so it is an open question whose cyber forces are stronger. “
Russian cyberworks will undoubtedly continue to influence the United States. During his broadcast on Wednesday, host Soloviev laughed: “Will there be an inauguration of Trump on March 4?” Other panelists laughed and admitted that they were familiar with the bizarre conspiracy theory produced by QAnon. During the broadcast of 60 minutes, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Duma Pyotr Tolstoy, said: ‘Here in Russia we always have an asymmetrical response. It’s scary … and classified. ”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has threatened to retaliate against the latest set of US sanctions, urging the United States not to “play with fire”. Co-host Olga Skabeeva asked Zakharova if Russia was ready to respond to US sanctions. She smiles: ‘There will be reaction. Don’t even worry about it. ”