Moscow Calling is Civil.ge’s monitoring of the Russian state media. We are putting our 24 years of experience at the service of our readers who look beyond Georgia’s immediate stories.
Russian state media reacted to the decision of Western leaders to remove range restrictions on weapons supplied to Kyiv, following Moscow’s massive and deadly missile and drone attacks in recent days. The reactions ranged from ridicule to threats of “big war.” Relations with the U.S. are still a nerve-wrecking see-saw for the rest of the world, but seemingly also destabilizing in the Kremlin, which tries to downplay President Trump’s criticisms, while focusing on this generally cooperative attitude.
Zakharova ironizes over German leadership statements on arms supplies to Ukraine…
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented with irony in her Telegram channel on the statements of the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of Germany about the removal of restrictions on the range of weapons supplied to Ukraine. Earlier, Merz said that following the UK, France, and the US, Germany had also lifted range restrictions on weapons transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces. Later, German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil noted that Berlin had not changed its position on supplies to Kyiv. “Let’s take away their ‘sugar spoon’ and ‘napkin’ at last! I hope at least these two didn’t get into a fight like the Macrons,” she wrote, alluding to Russian media manipulations where European leaders were allegedly hiding drugs as they headed to Kiev, and the recent video, French president’s wife allegedly gives him a ‘slap in the face’ before descending from an airplane in Vietnam. (ria.ru)
…while propagandist Sergei Markov predicts “major war in Europe”
A Russian so-called political scientist, who actively channels pro-Kremlin propaganda, said that “a big war” awaits Europe because of the decisions of European leaders. This he wrote in his Telegram channel, commenting on the removal by Western countries of restrictions on the range of strikes by Ukraine on the territory of Russia. “The big war is again going to Europe. Because of the absolutely insane policy of the leadership of European countries,” Markov wrote, noting that the West is confident that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not respond harshly. (lenta.ru)
Defense Ministry: Russia to continue strikes on Ukraine
Russia will continue to carry out massive and group strikes “in response to any terrorist attacks and provocations by Kiev,” TASS reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. “The strikes will be carried out exclusively against military facilities and enterprises of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex,” the ministry said in a statement. On May 25, Reuters reported that overnight, Russian forces carried out the largest air attack on Ukrainian territory since the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian officials said 367 UAVs and missiles were fired at the country. (TASS)
Kremlin says Moscow and Washington aim to cooperate despite differences
Reacting to the US President Donald Trump’s irritated comment about his Russian counterpart over a large-scale attack on Ukrainian cities using several hundred UAVs, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, said that despite the disagreements between the US and Russia on certain issues, the countries are generally focused on cooperation. “It is clear that the Russian and American sides should not and cannot agree on everything. There will always be certain divergences. But there is a political will to fulfill the agreements that will be reached,” Peskov said. (lenta.ru)
TASS irked by the absence of the Soviet Flag at the Allied Memorial Day parade in Washington D.C.
TASS, an official Russian news agency, paid attention to the absence of the USSR flag at the parade to mark Memorial Day for U.S. servicemen killed in various conflicts held in the U.S. capital on Monday. The agency said the footage showing marching military and civilian bands “of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition” did not feature the red banner, and that it addressed the organizer, NPO American Veterans Center, which did not respond to the query. (TASS)
Moscow names conditions for withdrawal of troops from Transnistria
The withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria is possible only after the conflict in this region of Moldova is settled. This was stated by Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov to RIA Novosti. Earlier, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu said she was ready to provide financial assistance to the region in the conditions of energy crisis only after the withdrawal of the Russian military from the territory of the unrecognized republic, while Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said that Russian troops should be replaced by a civilian mission under UN or EU control. “The issue of withdrawal of the Russian contingent has been discussed before. Moreover, the Russian side has never said that it will not be withdrawn. The Russian side is saying that this should be done as part of the progress of the Transnistrian settlement itself,” the Russian ambassador said. (ria.ru)