The Kremlin on Thursday exposed “incredible” footage of Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting crowds on a trip to the south of the country, something the government presented as a sign of “support” following the group’s attempted rebellion.
Vladimir Putin meets Derbent residents in public. When you see pictures that are made and cause emotion in citizens. pic.twitter.com/O6r8GVCQ72
– The Post (@elpostmx) June 29, 2023
Putin rarely appears at popular gatherings for safety and health reasons. Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, people who have met the president in official acts have been subject to rigorous selection and even had to be pre-detained in addition to tests.
On Wednesday evening, however, Russian television broadcast footage of the president meeting with dozens of people during a trip to Derbent, a city in Russia’s Caucasus. Putin agreed to pose for photos, shook hands and even kissed a girl on the head.
“There was an outpouring of support and incredible joy from the people of Derbent”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “The president could not refuse to meet the people,” he added.
The scene, the level of spontaneity of which the AFP could not verify, was released at a time when authorities are trying to demonstrate that Putin is still in charge and has the support of the military and the population.
In recent days, the Russian leader has met several times with his military leaders and soldiers. On Tuesday, he thanked them for averting “a civil war” after the brief uprising of the Wagner mercenary group on Saturday.
Source: DN
