Zakharova: Macron should fear his own people, not the “shadow fleet”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that French President Emmanuel Macron should fear his own people, not the “shadow Russian fleet.” In an interview with Sputnik radio, she accused the French authorities of mocking their citizens and trying to blame Russia for domestic problems. Zakharova commented on the case of the French detention of a ship, pointing out that Paris had failed to clearly explain why it happened. She said that Macron is using anti-Russian rhetoric to distract attention from his domestic policy failures, and that stories about a “shadow fleet” are propaganda borrowed from the Anglo-Saxons (Sputnik).
Intended effect: The statement aims to discredit the French leadership and portray France to the Russian audience as a politically unstable country whose authorities are losing control of society and are forced to justify themselves by citing external threats.
RIA Novosti: Trump has reached the last straw
RIA Novosti columnist Kirill Strelnikov writes in his article that U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he has “sort of” decided to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles (BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile, TLAM). However, Trump said that he needs to receive guarantees from someone and understand how these missiles will be used and what their targets will be. Strelnikov noted that over the past day, discussion has emerged on the internet about the battle axes used by American Indians to scalp American cowboys, for which the cowboys almost wiped them out and forced the survivors into reservations (ria.ru).
Intended effect: Strelnikov interprets Trump’s statement about supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine as a move that could increase tensions between the U.S. and Russia and influence U.S. domestic politics in the run-up to the elections.
Tsargrad: Merkel’s words about Russia stunned everyone
Russian propaganda outlet Tsargrad writes that the remarks by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel have caused a storm of reactions in the European Union, especially in Lithuania and the UK, where Russian policy is perceived as a direct threat to national and continental security. In an interview with the Hungarian outlet Partizán, Merkel said that Moscow’s actions aim to weaken the EU and destroy the Western security model. She claims that the West’s failure to establish a robust defense system has enabled Russia to launch aggressive military campaigns, posing serious risks to European stability (Tsargrad).
Intended effect: The material portrays the EU and the West as countries deeply concerned about Russia’s actions. This reinforces the impression of Moscow’s strength and justifies its tough external rhetoric.
