Putin doesn't need any publicity, good or bad

As the demonization of Vladimir Putin gets ever more intense in the western media, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that in fact public opinion polls show he is loved in many “different countries.”

Peskov gave RT some details behind the statements in Putin’s address to the Federal Assembly.

RT:During the speech Vladimir Putin seemed very ambitious. There were loads of plans laid out to raise industry, to raise small businesses, to raise medium sized businesses and this isn’t the first time he’s called on the government to help do that. Why is it different this time?

Dmitry Peskov: It’s different very much due to the international environment.

First of all, the president has emphasized that Russia is an open country that would never, by its own will, stay in international isolation. Russia will continue to stay open for international investments, for international cooperation, and Russia is extremely interested in that cooperation. But at the same time, unfortunately we don’t see every time a reciprocal approach from our western partners, and to the contrary we witness lots of attempts to interfere in our domestic affairs, lots of attempts not to create, let’s say, joint win, win situations, but win-lose situations. And the losing party in their understanding should every time be Russia.

Plus as well as that he mentioned sanctions, entire Russia sanctions and he said that sanctions were not a consequence of the crisis in Ukraine, but these sanctions or whatever else could just be a pretext for an attempt to stop Russia regaining its power, regaining its global positions, and in these circumstances the president has emphasized that we have to rely on our own capabilities and our own talents.

And in this context, actually, he scheduled a plan of support for domestic business, a plan for a different set of measures that should be implemented. Of course before they are implemented, they should be formulated so they are more precise and this should be done by the government in the coming days.

RT:About the rhetoric, about the US and the West trying to contain Russia. President Obama recently said that President Putin is scaring the heck out of his EU neighbors, isn’t that a serious rhetorical escalation?

DP: It is in our understanding – this is too much, actually. This is too much, this attempt to demonize Putin. It’s an unfair display with domestic public opinion. We think this is one more attempt to demonize him and at the same time, every day we see growing support, popular support, support of public opinion in those particular countries. So then this is contradicted every day, and the contradiction is [growing] more and more between public opinion in those countries and the words of their leaders. This is a very interesting situation.

RT:As you say, there is a growing demonization of Putin in Western media, especially like never before, but is there such a thing as bad publicity, because it is publicity after all, isn’t it?

DP: As a matter of fact, I don’t think Putin needs any publicity, whether it is bad or good. He is the President of Russia, which is being actually loved by lots of people throughout the world in very different countries. And we know that because we see the statistics from different countries, we see the media materials coming from different countries and people really do love him.

Putin doesn't need any publicity, good or bad – presidential spokesman