By XHABIR DERALLA

I see the “poor” pro-Russian propagandists and Putinists rolling around in the same propaganda schemes for months. The Russian propaganda machine has suffered equally shameful defeats as the military one on the thousand-mile-long front line in Ukraine. They definitely need a new script.  

But the local agitprop matryoshkas cannot expect a new script, when neither Putin or Lavrov are giving up their “good old” Stalinist propaganda scheme, only in a new technological-communication ensemble. In fact, there is hardly anything else left, but for them to repeat the big lies every day.

Even though it maintains a complex and expensive propaganda machine, the message that comes from the Kremlin is, relatively, simple. Persistent denial and dirty lies with the sole purpose – to hide or to at least distort the facts and the truth, both about the atrocious crimes and the immense defeats.

The local pro-Russian agitprop Soldateska is widely spread in the Macedonian media. You will find it “both in one and the other”, and also in the MRT public service (in the ownership of all Macedonian citizens, represented in the Parliament). Just one of the many (everyday) examples of how the public service plays to the rhythm of the Putinist  khorovod, are the news in Dnevnik 2, of November 18 (7:30 pm).

Lavrov is the main protagonist. The image of Lavrov and khyron is on the TV screens, quoting his statement that a large number of countries do not support the sanctions against Russia. He stated that in the context of the “hybrid war”, which is like being waged against his country (Matryoshki, feel free to click on the link, it’s of the Russian MFA). If the circumstances in which the world finds itself had not been tragic, precisely because of the vicious invasion of the country that Lavrov represents, this would have been a humoresque.

The message that the viewers of this text should get is such an obvious manipulation that it really does not deserve to be analyzed and explained particularly. It’s enough to mention that a week after the start of the Russian invasion against Ukraine, 141 countries adopted the Resolution of the UN General Assembly on March 2. Five countries (Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria) were against, and 35 abstained.

Regarding the sanctions, there are a large number of countries that introduced sanctions against Russia after the aggression against Ukraine back in 2014. The United States, the EU, Great Britain, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Japan and many more, among which most of the Western Balkan countries, including Macedonia, are part of the world democratic “front” that with sanctions, but also with direct humanitarian and military aid express their own position against Russia’s brutal military aggression.

Let’s get back to the mentioned news on MRT. Immediately after Lavrov, MRT “flew out” to Washington to reveal to its audience that the Republicans would put an “end to the endless financing for Ukraine”. Another manipulation. The fact is that the Republicans won a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in Congress, whereas the Democrats won a narrow majority in the Senate. It’s true that the Republicans announced a stricter control over the amount of funds being allocated for military and financial aid to Ukraine. Just as much as it’s true that the Republican Party itself is divided on this issue and that recent aid packages for Ukraine in the total amount of 54.43 billion dollars were adopted by both parties.

Some Republican representatives in the highest government institutions in the United States have continuously demanded greater control and reduction of the aid. In the meanwhile, the White House requested from Congress a new package of 37.7 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine. Like before, a sharp debate is expected on this issue as well. But MRT does not see these things, but rather declared an end to US aid for Ukraine.

Immediately after this news about Lavrov and the Republicans, from which viewers should draw a conclusion that, well, Ukraine will finally lose the war and everyone will be able to breathe a sigh of relief in harmony under the shadow of the big Matushka Russia, came also the news from Pyongyang. North Korea launched a high-range intercontinental ballistic missile. СNN quoted North Korean, Japanese and American sources who confirmed the news that the missile has the capacity to hit targets in the United States, that is, anywhere around the world. Just like the missiles launched in 2017 and on March 24 this year. But it is important that the United States can be hit by North Korean missiles!

So, bravo MRT, you deserve an order of the order of Stalin and the seven dwarfs, especially because of the selection, processing and order of the news. Putin and Russia are not alone! There is also North Korea, headed by Kim Jong-un, the craziest of the dynasty of dictators of that country. Americans, Europeans and similar to them, hold on, the fiery punishment will catch up with you sooner or later!

Wonderful news for a retirement dinner table. It’s recommended that you consume this news together with homemade yellow or white grape rakija and finely chopped cabbage. And then, before going to bed, it’s time for a song… “America and England shall be proletarian lands”. But let’s not forget “We have one name” and “Let the miserable understand…”of course. That Deralla can write all he wants that the fate of Ukraine is also the fate of the world, we live in a different, parallel world, a more beautiful world, Russian one! (the link is not recommended for the Matryoshkas).

Let’s finish with this morning espresso, having in consideration that the case of the Friday news on MRT is just an example, one of the many. As my colleague Dehran would say, RT and Sputnik were sanctioned, but (apparently) there is no one to stand in the way of the domestic “Sputniks” (this link is also not for the Matryoshkas).

Why is MRT important, even though it probably has less viewers that Janko Bacev has members in his miniature party? Because it has a budget of 15 million euros in 2022 – money of all Macedonian citizens. It has been a hotbed for party, nationalist and anti-Western propaganda for a decade.  With a Program Council, composed on Gruevski’s napkins, whose mandate has expired. And with a party director (re)elected by the body (council) without a mandate. And most importantly: Because it is a public service!

Translation: N. Cvetkovska