With Vladimir Putin’s bloody war in Ukraine crossing the 100-day mark, the Kremlin appears to be abandoning any claim to diplomacy. There are several reasons why Moscow aborted its first attempts at negotiations with Ukraine, including tangible gains on the battlefield and declining Western media attention. But if Russian state television is an indication, another reason why the Putin regime is now rejecting the idea of a diplomatic resolution has to do with the upcoming midterm elections in the United States.
During the last broadcast of the state television program Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, participants discussed the price that Russia should finally pay for its planned conquest of Ukraine. In several state media outlets, the U.S. midterm elections have been cited as a possible saving grace that could halt U.S. support for Ukraine and loosen the screws of sanctions against Russia. During Solovyov’s show, Andrey Sidorov, deputy dean of world politics at Moscow State University, asked, “Will we have our election problems? Will anything change if Republicans win the United States in November?
The host, Vladimir Solovyov, responded enthusiastically. “It simply came to our notice then. They will calmly say, “Why should we get involved and send so much money of our own?” in Ukraine, often with clips from The Tucker Carlson Program on Fox News, as well as comments made during public hearings and media appearances by former US President Donald Trump, former Congressman Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Rand Paul , Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Congressman Matt Gaetz.
Echoing Republicans’ popular talks about Ukraine, Solovyov predicted: “Republicans will come and say, why the hell do we need a corrupt Nazi Ukraine? They will ask: Who do we support? Yes, Russia is bad and sanctions “Our schools don’t have funding, we have a lot of problems of our own. Instead of fortifying the border with Mexico, helping our small businesses, we’ve given that money to corrupt Ukraine and nobody.” he knows where he went. “
So far, Western calls for diplomacy seem to have only encouraged Russia to escalate its military offensive, as it is perceived as a sign of despair. During the Sunday broadcast of Solovyov’s program, Sidorov explained: “In my opinion, the talks on the negotiations are designed to keep this conflict going. A ceasefire is needed to ensure the transition of the Soviet-style weapons of the Ukrainian forces – which have already run out – to Western weapons. They need time. They need corridors to move them. Under no circumstances should we agree to negotiate. “
Solovyov agreed. “We don’t need any kind of negotiations, because time is on our side and the pace is working in our favor … They are arming themselves [Ukrainians] with NATO systems … if they get some shells from here, some from there, who will fix them? He said. “If you train artillery specialists, but then you discover that you not only need ammunition, but also spare parts and repairs, you need a power supply, you have to maintain the whole system … it’s a headache … They need years to deal with ho. that and not just a ceasefire. “
“It’s like the floodgates have been opened.”
In The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov on Monday, the host presented a clip of an old favorite of the Russian state media: Tucker Carlson: “Let me show you how Fox News’ Tucker Carlson kicks Biden.” In the clip, Carlson ridiculed US President Joe Biden for being unable to destroy the Russian economy, “in retaliation for installing Donald Trump as president.” Solovyov compared Carlson’s tirade to that of Chinese government officials, a dubious honor for any self-respecting American television presenter. Aside from the Trump election statement, the rhetoric quoted by Solovyov almost mimicked Carlson’s claims about the booming Russian economy, which was supposed to thrive despite Western sanctions. While the Russian economy is struggling, the Kremlin-funded media is once again broadcasting agitprop profits from foreign entities to convince the public that everything is going as planned.
It is clear that Western media coverage has played an important role in Moscow’s thinking. During Tuesday’s broadcast, Solovyov explained: “We are moving as fast as we can, based on the reality of the military circumstances and our intention to minimize our casualties. That is why the mood in The West has changed so drastically, while in recent days they thought it was a deal, now they want to negotiate and tell Ukraine to accept the loss of their territories … No doubt the mood has changed. a long-term war, not in terms of our special operation, but in terms of our war against the West, without a doubt. “
“I will start by talking about who is losing the war, in terms of our confrontation with the West, even though the main battles are just beginning … just read the Western press, everyone is convinced that they have already lost. “It’s so surprising, I was surprised: there’s a real panic … It’s like the floodgates have been opened.”