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Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, created by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dimitry Muratov, was blocked by the Kremlin and can no longer be published in Russia since the enactment of a law that censors much of the media in the country. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the vehicle has moved its editorial office to Riga. From the capital of Latvia, the newspaper continues to follow Russian news and its chief editor, Kirill Martynov, explains to RFI why all of Vladimir Putin’s power depends on this war.
Anne Verdaguersent by special RFI in Riga
RFI: As an independent media, Novaya Gazeta he had lived under constant pressure from the Kremlin for many years. What changed from February 2022?
Kirill Martynov: From the first days of the war, we knew that we had very little time to act. But for us it was important to be able to support Ukraine, tell and show everything that was happening there.
Our first issue after the outbreak of war came out on February 25th and we decided to do two issues, one in Russian and one in Ukrainian, as a sign of support. Our headline on the front page was quite simple: “Russia bombs Ukraine”. From the second week of the conflict, it was forbidden to talk about “war”, and an official discourse was set up. We only had access to official statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense , which were lies.A law was passed against those who did not follow this rhetoric, with a penalty of up to ten years in prison for those who did not respect the rule.
RFI: At that moment you and Novaya Gazeta were considered “foreign agents” by the Kremlin, like many other Russian journalists, and decided to leave Russia?
K.M.: I think we represented a danger to Vladimir Putin and his supporters because tens of millions of people in Russia had access to our publications and there was this fear that public opinion would no longer support the war. We soon realized that we had several options: keep quiet, go to jail, or run away. We chose the third option.
Latvia welcomed us with open arms, they quickly offered us dozens of visas, for us and our families, and I think we will never forget this solidarity in such a difficult time. But Latvia’s government also has its own reasons: the country has a large Russian-speaking population that is the target of Russian state propaganda. So they need access to independent information.
RFI: Do most Russians support this war?
K.M.: Most Russians accept this war as they don’t want to get involved in the country’s political life. They tell themselves there must be a good reason the war started. But at the same time, I’m pretty sure the Russians never wanted this war. Because there has never been any citizen demonstration in favor of an armed conflict.
What is important to emphasize is that, unfortunately, many Russians do not seek out independent sources of information. This, of course, requires technical skills and a certain critical sense. But I think people prefer not to know anything, and that’s exactly what Russian propaganda wants. Moscow has blocked more than 300 Russian media outlets since the start of the war in Ukraine. And we know that the rest of the information in Russia is completely controlled by the state.
These “official” media cannot criticize the Russian president, nor the war. They are unable to provide actionable information. So we went through the YouTube channel to reach our readers in Russia.
RFI: How do you think this war will end? Do you believe it is still possible to negotiate with Vladimir Putin?
K.M.: Russians know that negotiation is always a better solution than war. But I don’t see how it is possible to talk to Vladimir Putin, as he thinks he still controls the situation on the ground. But there is mainly a political reason: he knows that if he loses the war, he also loses power.
But if there is a possibility to negotiate, there will only be lies and propaganda speeches from Russia to justify this war. The best we can hope for is a break from lockdown, before another war or new Kremlin provocations. Unfortunately, I think the only way to achieve peace is to show the Russian authorities that they have no choice but to lose this war.