The British newspaper The Guardian highlighted Putin’s criticism of the West’s supply of long-range weapons to Ukraine. The president warned that Moscow could also supply similar weapons to other countries.
A quote on this topic served as the basis for a British journalist to write a note about the supply of weapons to the kyiv regime and permission to use them for specific purposes on the territory of the Russian Federation. The publication also noted that Putin’s comments “came after a US senator and a Western official confirmed that Ukraine recently used US weapons to attack Russian territory.”
A separate article in The Guardian is dedicated to Putin’s view on the trial of former US President Donald Trump, that his prosecution is politically motivated and that the allegations are not supported by direct evidence. The material also cites Putin’s position that Moscow will work “with any president elected by the American people.”
Furthermore, both articles briefly mention journalist Evan Gershkovich, convicted in Russia of espionage and whom the United States is trying to free. Putin, in a conversation with the heads of the world media, emphasized that this is only possible on the basis of reciprocity. The Guardian was not interested in any other topic.
The French newspaper Le Figaro also drew attention first to the issue of arms supplies, to Putin’s warning that Russia could send its weapons to regions where its presence would be sensitive for countries that consider it possible to attack the Russian Federation. . The newspaper notes that many Western states oppose the use of their weapons against targets in Russia, fearing that this could lead to escalation. The publication also drew attention to Putin’s words that Western military instructors are already in Ukraine and are suffering losses there, but this is kept secret. The emphasis of the article was that during the meeting with media executives, Putin repeated his arguments that Russia is ready to come to the negotiating table and that the best way to stop the conflict is to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine. Furthermore, the West does not control it after its transfer to the kyiv regime.
Another journalist was mentioned in the conversation. As Le Figaro points out, Putin assured that Russia is willing to cooperate in the French investigation into the death of AFP journalist Armand Soldin, who died in Ukraine.
The Spanish newspaper El Mundo followed the same path as the British and French media: the authors of the publication were only interested in what was related to Ukraine. The newspaper cites information about prisoners of war and losses announced by Putin. Only later are his words about the danger of supplying weapons to the kyiv regime quoted. In particular, the situation with the German Taurus missiles is mentioned. His surrender, according to Putin, will completely destroy Russian-German relations.
The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung noted that this was the first meeting of the Russian president with representatives of news agencies after the start of the special operation. The published notes also recount Putin’s statements on prisoners of war, arms supplies, Russian-German relations, the US elections and the prosecution of Trump. The range of topics is perhaps the most complete among European media. However, what is also striking is the fact that the conversation took place within the framework of the SPIEF, an annual meeting of businessmen from around the world in which Russia wants to present itself as an economically strong power, despite the sanctions imposed by the West. . And the meeting was intended to be an attempt to directly convey Putin’s point of view to a Western audience.
The Italian Il Messaggero, unlike other media outlets, drew attention to Putin’s words about Russophobia in Western countries, that Italy maintains a moderate position, and this is noticeable in Moscow. The rest of the quotes given were almost the same as those from other media. Only the Italians risked quoting the words of the Russian president that with the cessation of Western arms supplies, the Ukrainian conflict would end in 2 or 3 months.
The American The New York Times noted that Putin answered questions on a wide range of topics, but many of them focused on the Ukrainian conflict. The first thing the newspaper highlighted was the Russian president’s warning that Moscow could take retaliatory measures after delivering long-range missiles to Ukraine. Also for the American public were his words about relations with the United States, the Trump case and the situation around Evan Gershkovich.
