The last thing we should be doing is giving Putin any TV coverage, he loves it.

The last thing we should be doing is giving Putin any TV coverage, he loves it. | EFE

Humphrey CarterPalma21/03/2022 09:47
TW
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Putin has been the focus of international attention for weeks now, he has welcomed numerous political leaders to Moscow for talks and has been enjoying all the media attention.

But, while on the one hand the West is ramping up sanctions and tracking down Putin’s best buddies and their assets all around the world, he is still being given hours of airtime on global television - take him off. I was surprised to see the coverage given on Spanish and British TV to the mass rally at which Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday.

Speaking on a stage at the centre of Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people waving Russian flags and chanting “Russia, Russia, Russia” that all of the Kremlin’s aims would be achieved.

“We know what we need to do, how to do it and at what cost. And we will absolutely accomplish all of our plans,” Putin told the rally from a stage decked out with slogans such as “For a world without Nazism” and “For our president”.

Putin said the soldiers fighting in what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine had demonstrated the unity of Russia.

He might be able to fool the majority of Russians but surely we don’t need to be gracing him with hours of coverage on global TV, it’s what he wants, we’re falling into his trap. The UK has shut down the Russia Today channel but all the others are still broadcasting him.