Putin held an almost four-hour phone-in on Wednesday during which he answered questions and requests from Russian citizens.
The topics included COVID-19 vaccination, the coronavirus crisis, the international context of the Ukraine crisis, September elections to the State Duma, as well as historical issues.
The phone-in “was prepared as a professional propaganda product,” said Stanisław Żaryn, spokesman for Poland’s security services chief.
“The Russian president pursued typical Kremlin lines of influence on public opinion - presenting the West as an aggressive entity, maintaining a sense of external threat in society, and promoting a vision of a great, successful Russia,” Żaryn told Polish state news agency PAP.
“Putin also used the opportunity to manipulate the image of his own aggressive actions against other countries. Putin once again appeared as a benefactor, host and defender of the nation, responding directly to the requests and demands of Russians,” Żaryn said in the interview.
He added: “Despite this, it was not possible to cut out questions that revealed the real fears of Russian society.”
“Some of the issues raised pointed to society's serious concerns about the situation in Russia. This is not surprising – the state of the country’s health system, its economy as well as the public mood is becoming increasingly serious,” according to Żaryn.
(jh/pk)
Source: PAP