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GuardianMAY 2024
Putin Has First Sit Down With Western Press Since Ukraine War
Above: Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on while visiting the Lakhta Center on June 5, 2024, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Image copyright: Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Taking his usual tone, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin threatened the West with nuclear weapons and Russian-backed strikes on Western territory for its support of Ukraine. He did say he was willing to work with any elected US leader who was willing to change tack on Russia — though he admitted the prospects of that were unlikely.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sitting down with the international media, Putin seems far more cogent than the majority of Western leaders the world is blessed with today. He fielded the usual questions on nuclear weapons and American escalation, but he said it himself — the thought of Russia attacking NATO is preposterous. However, that wasn't what was reported in the Western media.