Peskov and Kiriyenko tried to persuade Putin not to impose harsh internet blockages, but unsuccessfully — The Guardian

Peskov and Kiriyenko tried to persuade Putin not to impose harsh internet blockages, but unsuccessfully — The Guardian

People from Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including his press secretary Dmitry Peskov and the first deputy head of the presidential administration Sergei Kiriyenko, tried to persuade the Russian leader to abandon the toughest measures to restrict the internet, The Guardian writes, citing sources.

According to two of the newspaper’s sources, those attempts were unsuccessful. The sources provide no other details.

The Guardian notes that the Russian internet and restrictions on it are overseen by the FSB’s Second Service (The Bell was the first to report this). “As long as the war continues, Putin will rely on the силовые структуры,” a source told the newspaper.

One business representative says that against the backdrop of mounting economic problems inside the country, “the mood among the elites has definitely changed this year.” According to him, there is “deep disappointment in Putin.”

He does not believe that “everything will suddenly collapse,” but notes an understanding that “completely senseless and self-destructive decisions continue to be made.” “People who used to defend Putin no longer do so,” he adds.

@meduzalive