Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine
New York TimesJUL 2023
Russia Bans Anti-War Candidate From Presidential Election
Image copyright: Getty Images News [via Getty Images]
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The immediate slap-down of a Putin critic demonstrates the lengths to which Moscow will go to crack down on people who dare to protest his autocratic regime, attempt to end the war in Ukraine, or free political prisoners. It shows that no dissent will be tolerated in the campaign to give Putin — who, after Duntsova's cancellation, remains the only politician to be able to register as a candidate — a clean slate to win again.
Establishment-critical narrative
The American government and media criticizing Russia's political system while simultaneously trying to imprison one of their own top presidential candidates is hypocrisy at its finest. The US establishment didn't like Donald Trump's anti-imperialism foreign policy and therefore sought to ban him from running for election again — the pot is certainly calling the kettle black here.