Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to Tsar Peter the Great on Thursday, the 350th anniversary of his birth, saying that modern Russia is once again doing historical research “to return and fortify” its lost lands. Clearing any doubts about the true motivation for his invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Putin told a hearing of technology students in Moscow that the part of reconquering the former territories of Russia fell to his generation. They smiled happily throughout the speech, with no sign of reaction to their leader’s imperial ambitions that have abruptly reshaped their future.
The speed with which the talking heads turned behind Putin’s latest narrative broke the thin layer of supposed independence on Russian state television, exposing the fact that Kremlin propagandists on the top rated programs are not there. to share their own opinions. The same experts who for months meekly stated that the “special military operation” was never to occupy any of the territories of Ukraine have changed their tone in the blink of an eye. Leaving aside the unconvincing legend of the legendary Nazis in charge of the Ukrainian government, as well as the complaints about “NATO enlargement”, state television experts accepted the idea of shamelessly taking the land of ‘other nations, just because they want to.
After playing clips of Putin’s latest comments, Vladimir Solovyov, presenter of the state television program The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, jumped on his head: “Putin talks about fortification and enlargement, so that [territories] means enlargement. What we lost before, we must now return. This is a completely different formulation from our goal. Life is getting interesting. “
Solovyov’s frequent guest, Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Russian Duma’s Defense Committee, who previously served as Deputy Defense Minister, enthusiastically agreed: “Yes, we will restore and fortify … The world has changed. The period of American colonialism has come to an end and will never return. In this new world, Russia will be the power, the moral compass, the goal of purity, truth and correctness, to which sensitive people from all over the planet will gather. “
Kartapolov’s speech looked like it might have come straight from North Korea, and that’s where some state television experts see things happening. At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, prominent state television expert Karen Shakhnazarov expressed concern about human suffering and publicly urged Putin to end the war quickly. Whether or not he was publicly reprimanded for publicly disagreeing with the Kremlin’s approach, Khakhnazarov is now fully on board the empire’s rebuilding train.
He criticized Western voices for questioning whether countries without nuclear weapons should submit to the most powerful nations brandishing nuclear weapons, saying that could be right. Admitting that his opinion is cynical, Shakhnazarov argued: “If you are not able to create these weapons to defend yourself, if you do not have capable engineers and scientists or industry, then you have to keep in mind that there are other countries that “It’s just the way it is. There are nations like North Korea, a small country, that have been able to show everyone that they can be sovereign.”
Shakhnazarov described Russia as an empire, the rightful descendant of the Mongol dynasty of the Golden Horde: “I believe that Russia is the natural heir of the Mongol-Tatars, who created the first empire in the territory of Eurasia.” The attitude of uncivilized brutality has been accepted by Russian opinion makers, and guests at Solovyov’s show have repeatedly argued that the so-called “deacification” of Ukrainians should lead to public hanging.
Earlier this week, talking about the fate of British citizens Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, and Moroccan national Saaudun Brahim, all captured in Ukraine, experts on Solovyov’s program fell into a party shouting whether they had of being shot or hanged. These horrific displays of sadistic cruelty and contempt for international norms on state-controlled television took place even before prisoners of war were tried and convicted by Russian officials who interpreted the government in the false “People’s Republic of Donetsk “in eastern Ukraine.
The idea of growth through territorial expansion has been repeatedly reiterated by prominent figures, such as the chairman of the Deputy Defense Committee of the State Duma Vladimir Shamanov, a former commander-in-chief of the Russian airborne troops. In a recent interview, Shamanov agreed with the statement that “war is the business card of the Russian people” and stated: “Our nation was built through territorial expansion.”
During his program, Solovyov presented a clip of the late Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a former member of the State Duma, known for his hateful and belligerent statements. In the clip, Zhirinovsky insisted that the Baltic countries and Ukraine would be occupied and controlled by Russia. The host referred to the politician as a “political prophet” and noted that “everyone should have heard” his predictions.
Complaining bitterly about the sanctions – and his confiscated Italian mansions on the shores of Lake Como – Solovyov suggested: “Since we are going to expand, if we need, for example, car parts, in the places where these factories are located. located. I am also angry about Lake Como. Let’s expand in that direction. “
While Putin imagines Russia’s new emperor, with multiple two-headed eagles that are said to adorn his imperial palaces, the idea of combining ancient savages with nuclear threats might not work so well for the average Russian. The Russian authorities had a message for everyday citizens, who were fighting under the weight of paralyzing sanctions: “Russia will live better in ten years’ time.” Solovyov concluded: “The most important thing is that we now know what awaits us in the coming years: to return and fortify ourselves. [lost lands]. ”
On Friday, Olga Skabeeva, presenter of 60 Minutes, said: “Delicious! Now we understand the future plans of the Russian state: we will return and strengthen [territories]. Some people are afraid of that, but that’s not our problem. “