Sputnik/Pool via Reuters
Out of all Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its war against Ukraine, none have bothered pro-Kremlin mouthpieces more than the dwindling opportunities to travel abroad. They loudly proclaim not to care, but even carefully scripted exchanges on state television and in print betray the Achilles’ heel of Vladimir Putin’s regime. Putin’s propagandists claim to hate the decadent West, but prefer to live, study, shop, retire and send their offspring there.
In an interview published this Friday, popular Russian film director Egor Konchalovsky told the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda just how much he is bothered by the growing divide: “I am disappointed. The West has deceived us. After the collapse of the USSR, it seemed to us that we were about to become part of Europe, a grandiose free world from Lisbon to Vladivostok, where we would use credit cards in expensive stores in Paris.”
Skillfully avoiding any type of an acknowledgement that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused the rift, Konchalovsky griped: “It seemed that a magnificent world was about to open up. But it opened for exactly a second, when it was convenient for Britain and the United States … Suddenly—poof! And we no longer hear: are you a good Russian or a bad Russian? No. Now all Russians are bad!” He added: “The West disappeared surprisingly quickly. Now we’re on our own. With a gaze turned inward. And, in my opinion, this is very good.”