Our correspondent Ivor Bennett was present at Moscow’s Grand Kremlin Palace for the fifth inauguration of Vladimir Putin as Russian president. During the event, Bennett interviewed Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about the state of democracy in Russia.
Peskov emphasized that Russia is a democratic country where people have the right to choose their leaders. He defended the lack of opposition to Putin by citing the country’s current war conditions, stating that tougher measures are needed to ensure victory. Despite this, Peskov maintained that stricter measures are necessary for achieving national goals and that public dissent during wartime can undermine these efforts. He insisted that these measures are democratic and defended them against Western media criticism.
Peskov also highlighted the presence of opposition within Russia, albeit under more challenging conditions. When asked about interference from other countries, he emphasized that interference should not be tolerated and that Russia is resistant to external influence. Overall, Peskov’s interviews conveyed a strong stance on Russia’s democratic principles and its resistance to external influence.
