The Russian authorities may have shut down his newspaper, but journalist Dmitry Muratov refuses to remain silent.

The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg met in Moscow with Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov, who made no secret of his concern about Putin’s actions.

“Two generations lived without the threat of nuclear war. But is this period over? Will Putin press the nuclear button or not? Who knows; Nobody knows. There is not a single person who can say for sure, ”commented Muratov.

The Nobel laureate expresses this concern at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the development of nuclear weapons in Belarus a few days ago.

Is this a bluff or a real threat? Muratov discovered alarm signals from Moscow.

“We see how state propaganda makes people believe that nuclear war is not bad,” says the Nobel laureate, pointing out that “Russian TV channels show nuclear war and nuclear weapons as if they were commercials showing animal food.” .

On the other hand, state propaganda presents Russia as a peace-loving country, emphasizing that the attackers on the country are Ukraine and the West.

Russians receive “propaganda exposure”

“People in Russia are getting ‘propaganda radiation’,” Mr. Muratov says. “Everyone is sensitive to this, not only Russians. In Russia, propaganda is carried out by a dozen TV channels, tens of thousands of newspapers, as well as social networks. like VK (Russian version of Facebook), which fully serves the state ideology.”

The journalist wonders what will happen if propaganda suddenly stops tomorrow.

“Our young generation is wonderful and well educated. About a million Russians left the country. Many of those who remained are categorically against what is happening in Ukraine. All of them are against the hell that Russia has arranged there. I am convinced that as soon as the propaganda stops, this generation – and all other sane people – will speak up.

Last year, D. Muratov auctioned his Nobel Peace Prize to raise money for refugee children from Ukraine. He himself is not particularly optimistic about the future.

My only hope is a new generation

“Never again will there be normal relations between the peoples of Russia and Ukraine. Never again. Ukraine will not be able to come to terms with this tragedy.”

“My only hope is connected with the new generation – people who see the world as a friend, not an enemy, and want to love Russia, and Russia to love the world. I hope this generation will outlive me and Putin,” he concluded.

Source: BBC