The visit of Ukrainian President Zelensky to the United States does little for the Kremlin, only the aid package annoys the Russians. So says Russia correspondent Joost Bosman. The rhetoric of Russian talk shows is dismissive as usual, but the channels are watched 50% less.
“It’s the West’s fault, we haven’t done anything wrong,” Bosman sums up the Russian tone as he picks it up in the media. It was explained on Russian news that Biden at least said that he cannot give Zelensky everything he asked for. With this, the Russians want to show that Ukraine has basically chosen an unreliable partner.’
Proud of rocket attacks
But what Russian television is also saying is that Biden does not see the delivery of the Patriot missiles as an escalation, but as a defensive measure. “It’s been scornfully noted that the Patriots really can’t get everything from the air.” According to Bosman, the Russians even seem a little proud of the massive rocket attacks in recent weeks.
Even on Russian talk shows the contemptuous reactions splash against the pedestals as usual. ‘Of course they have long known in Russia that Ukraine has chosen the West and that Zelensky is a puppet of Biden; that’s how he is introduced and the answer is kind of shrugged. It’s more about the content, the support annoys them, but the visit itself: oh well.’
War-weary Russians
What Bosman finds remarkable is that recent research shows that Russian talk shows, which are usually heavily criticized against the West, but where there is also a critical Kremlin sound from time to time, are viewed as much as 50 % less than just after the start of the war.
‘That says something about the state of the Russian population: people just don’t want to see it anymore, they get tired, it makes them sad, that’s why they don’t watch it anymore. This is different from March, when seventy percent of Russians supported the operation in Ukraine.”
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
