(Moscow) The Kremlin estimated Friday that the time was to unite around President Vladimir Putin, on the ninth day of the invasion of Ukraine.
Posted at 7:52
“This is not the time to divide, this is the time to unite. And unite around our president,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing when asked about calls from cultural figures opposed to the war.
“There are indeed passionate debates among cultural actors. There are those who support the president, support the president sincerely. And there are those who do not understand what is happening, “he said, believing that it was necessary” to explain things to them patiently “.
Many citizen petitions are circulating against the war, among them those of cultural personalities, but also of medical professionals.
Russian authorities have tightened domestic controls in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, including the shutdown of independent media outlets, website blockages and the pending adoption of legislative amendments introducing prison sentences for those found guilty of distributing “false information” about the military.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine itself, the Kremlin spokesman said that Mr Putin had not planned to speak to the Ukrainian president, believing that the previous day’s talks should continue in this format involving representatives of the presidencies. .
“These negotiations are a good way to convey to the Ukrainian side our vision of the problem,” said Mr. Peskov.
Finally, the Russian president does not intend to have a discussion with his American counterpart, Joe Biden.
“Such a conversation is not expected. It is difficult to currently consider these partners as interlocutors,” Peskov said, as Russia accuses the West in general and the United States of instrumentalizing Ukraine against Moscow and making it a threat. strategic for the Kremlin.