Earlier in June, discussing Simonian’s selection for the role, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peshkov told TASS: “The logic of many prominent Western reporters at the moment raises questions … they have all gone crazy … Margarita [Simonyan] is a global reporter and media director. For us, then, it leaves the journalists in the dust internationally, that is why it is the one who will be the coordinator “. Fresh from the event, Simonian appeared Sunday night with Vladimir Soloviev, spilling out about her recent meetings with Putin and bringing a new mythical story about what Russia is supposed to be doing in Ukraine. The host of the program, Vladimir Solovyov, asked Simonyan for details of her meetings with the authoritarian Russian before and after the forum. She smiled and replied with shame: “Of course, I can not say everything in public, I will whisper it in your ear later.” Solovyov hinted that Simonyan might even have advised Putin herself: “Based on recent observations, the president is open to receiving information from different levels … Our decision-making centers do not act as Olympic gods. . “They get information from everywhere: official sources, unofficial sources, war correspondents, people from the site, which is very important.” According to the best traditions of the Soviet and North Korean propagandists, the head of the RT began her monologue praising Putin’s great health, tireless endurance, unwavering confidence and cheerful disposition. He argued that the most common questions the average Russian wanted to ask the Russian president were simple: the first was a message of tacit support and the second reflected the urgent call of the people to strike at the “decision-making centers” as soon as possible. Fistfully clenching her fist, Simonian exclaimed: “I also want to ask, why don’t we hit them? Where are these red lines? ” He recounted Putin’s response: “I will not say what the red lines are, but they know about them … I will not name them because of military tactics: why show them our papers in advance?” Simonian argued that one of the reasons Putin did not carry out more intense bombing of major cities was rather practical: “He said, ‘Would we like to turn these cities into Stalingrad?’ Indeed, our people are there! These are our future cities! It is obvious … This is our land and our people, we will have to restore it later “. After her secret meetings with Putin, Simonian – who for years promoted the idea of Russian armed intervention in neighboring countries – appeared with a drastically different repetition of events that the rest of the world was watching. He categorically denied that Russia was waging war or even a special operation in Ukraine. On the contrary, Simonyan claimed, there is a civil war and Russia has simply sided with the Russians. The head of RT did everything he could to sell an incredible story, filled with genocidal denial of Ukrainians as a people, and an unequivocal rejection of an idea they could possibly fight to defend their homeland. Describing one of the videos of a Ukrainian prisoner she recently watched, Simonyan said: “A surrendered soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was sitting down, his face is completely Russian, completely Russian. None of you could understand who he was, he is Russian. Big blue eyes, blond hair and beard. He said, “I mobilized under compulsory conscription.” We have to understand, not everyone is there of their own free will “. Simonyan, who often claims that Russian troops are in Ukraine and fighting for their homeland, unreasonably denied that such an idea could ever be applied to Ukrainians fighting on their own soil. Narrating the video with a prisoner of war, Simonyan claimed: “He does not even care where he will live. He has no military-patriotic feelings that he is defending his homeland. He understands very well that he is not defending any Homeland, but the interests of someone else that have nothing to do with his own. “He could not care where he would end up living: in Donetsk, Belgorod or in his village near Kyiv, where he comes from.” As for those who fight against Russian troops or oppose Russian aggression, Simonian noted: “There are a significant number of Nazis and catechumens with whom there is little to do but shoot them under DPR law. [the supposed Donetsk People’s Republic]. » In addition to supporting the killing of Ukrainians resisting the Russian invasion, including captured soldiers, Simonyan refused to acknowledge their very existence as a people in any context other than being Russian or anti-Russian. He said: “It is obvious to everyone that there is no war between Russia and Ukraine. This is not even a special operation against the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is a civil war in Ukraine. Part of the Ukrainians, who are Russophobic and anti-Russian in the same sense that the fascists were anti-Semitic – in exactly the same way – is destroying another part of their own people. Russia is simply supporting one side of these warring parties. Why this particular side? This is obvious, because they are Russians. These are our people. And over there, they are anti-Russian. That’s all.” Realizing the inability to successfully sell this absurd explanation to the Western public, Simonyan speculated that if Russian state media abroad continued to operate relentlessly, Americans and Europeans would believe in an alternative portrayal of Russia for its aggression and electoral opportunities. of their leaders who support Ukraine “will fall down, from 20-30 percent of the approval rating to zero.” “From their point of view, I understand how smart it was for Europe and America to get rid of RT and Sputnik,” Simonian said with a sigh.
