Moscow Calling – July 11

Peskov: Censorship necessary in the context of information warfare

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Expert magazine that Russia is facing a large-scale attack, including in the information sphere, which makes the use of military censorship tools in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which Peskov calls a “special military operation,” entirely justified. “This is a time of military censorship unprecedented for our country. After all, the war is also being waged in the information space. And it would be wrong to turn a blind eye to media outlets that are deliberately engaged in discrediting Russia. Therefore, I believe that this regime is justified at present,” he said. Peskov also commented on the closure of a number of media outlets and the departure of some journalists, calling for the current circumstances to be taken into account. He noted that it would be short-sighted to ignore the work of media outlets engaged in the systematic discrediting of Russia (expert.ru).

Lavrov continues to accuse Europe of seeking a new war with Russia

At a press conference following his participation in ASEAN events in Kuala Lumpur, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Europe is once again moving toward war with Russia, forgetting the lessons of history. He criticized the actions of Berlin, Paris, and London, as well as the statements of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, comparing his rhetoric to that of World War II. “As for Mr. Merz, he has said some amusing things on more than one occasion, including that his main goal is to make Germany the leading military power in Europe once again. He didn’t even stumble over the word ‘once again’,” he said. Lavrov also commented on the provocations against North Korea, the situation in Taiwan, and the Palestinian issue. He stressed that the U.S. and its allies are destabilizing the international situation with regard to North Korea, and Russia intends to defend the interests of its allies and advocate for compliance with international law (TASS).

Lavrov on talks with Rubio: “Expect surprises,” START not on the agenda

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke about his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to him, the issue of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was not raised, with the main focus being on the situation in Ukraine. Lavrov confirmed Moscow’s position, previously voiced by Vladimir Putin. Commenting on Rubio’s words about a “new plan,” Lavrov referred to Donald Trump’s phrase: “That’s what I’m telling you. And expect big surprises, he said. I don’t know about big surprises, but you understand… there are things that are not commented on.” Lavrov also gave Rubio a selection of statements by Ukrainian politicians which, according to him, contain calls for the destruction of Russians. CNN rumors about the “bombing of Moscow and Beijing” were not discussed at the meeting – Lavrov called them frivolous compared to the real agenda (TASS).

Kornilov: Macron’s visit showed that the “new Entente” is inspired by Russophobia

After Brexit, the UK has become a rare destination for foreign leaders, and French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit was only the fifth state visit in more than five years — and the first by an EU leader, Russian political analyst Vladimir Kornilov writes in his article for RIA Novosti. According to him, King Charles III called the meeting the beginning of a “new Entente,” but the French press virtually ignored the event, while the British press greeted it with derision. According to the author, the key issue on the agenda was illegal migration, but the expected agreement on the return of migrants fell through. He claims that the Daily Mail and The Sun harshly criticized Macron, accusing him of hypocrisy and Britain’s new ally of mocking London. In the end, Kornilov concludes, all that remains of the “friendly Entente” is general anti-Russian rhetoric — the only area where the parties are still united (ria.ru).

Mikhalkov: Putin approves idea to restrict access of foreign films to Russia

Nikita Mikhalkov, chairman of the Russian Filmmakers’ Union, a well-known Soviet film director who has become a mouthpiece for the Kremlin and an active propagandist for the so-called “Russian world,” said that Vladimir Putin has once again supported his idea of introducing quotas and financial barriers for foreign films in Russia. The initiative involves introducing an entry fee of 5 million rubles for the consideration of foreign films, a 10% levy on box office receipts to support domestic cinema, and the creation of a “single window” system for market access, possibly through Gazprom-Media or the National Media Group. According to Mikhalkov, the relevant authorities are still considering the proposal, but he is confident that officials will not be able to ignore Putin’s resolution. He also accused the bureaucratic system of corruption and said that he does not intend to wait for a response, nor, in his opinion, will Putin himself (TASS).