Putin sheds tears at war film amid ongoing peace talks debate
Absurd recording from Russia. Dictator Vladimir Putin was moved while watching a drama about the so-called Great Patriotic War. The film was shared by a journalist accompanying the event. "What Putin's actions mean in the Great Patriotic War: a shocking recording that no one has seen yet," he wrote.
The unusual recording, which is supposed to portray Putin as sensitive and tender, was published by Pavel Zarubin. He is a journalist who accompanies the dictator on all of his trips and travels, both domestic and international.
"Shocking recording" – propaganda in action
The recording lasts 22 seconds and shows Putin with slightly tear-filled eyes.
Meanwhile, Zarubin presents it like this: "What Putin's actions mean in the Great Patriotic War: shocking recording that no one has seen yet," he wrote on Telegram.
The propaganda recording quickly spread to other Russian media. "Putin was moved by fragments of the new war movie 'Not Listed.' During the final scene of the screening, the president's eyes filled with tears," wrote the TASS agency.
"The Great Patriotic War" is the Russian (and previously Soviet) name for part of World War II, covering the period from June 22, 1941, to May 9, 1945 – the time when the Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany after Germany's attack on the USSR.
It is an ideological term – "Patriotic" was meant to emphasize the defense of the homeland against the invader.
The dictator does not agree to a ceasefire
On the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Russian dictator organized a press conference at the Kremlin. He proposed to Ukraine the resumption of direct peace talks in Istanbul starting May 15 – without any preconditions. As reported by world agencies, the Russian leader stated that the aim of the talks is to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict" and "restore lasting peace."
However, the Kremlin made it clear that it does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine. This was supposed to take effect from Monday, May 12.
From the Ukrainian side, there were also declarations of readiness for talks. President Volodymyr Zelensky informed that Ukraine is open to negotiations in any format. On Saturday, he spoke by phone with former U.S. President Donald Trump and met in Kyiv with leaders from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland – countries belonging to the so-called "coalition of the willing."
