The Russian authorities have instructed state and pro-government media to present the phone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a diplomatic triumph for the Kremlin.
This information comes from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to analysts, the Russian outlet "Meduza" discovered that the Kremlin ordered the media to portray the negotiations on February 12 as "Putin's initiative and victory," while minimizing mentions of Trump in the coverage of this conversation and other events.
The Russian government is concerned that the public may start to view Trump as a more decisive and influential politician than Putin. As a result, propaganda media have been instructed to emphasize Putin's role as the primary initiator of the talks and to avoid creating "overly optimistic expectations" regarding a potential end to the war.
The Kremlin is attempting to control the perception of Trump.
ISW experts also note that Moscow aims to prevent a scenario in which Russians might see Trump as "a strong leader capable of changing the situation," while viewing Putin as a weaker politician.
Previously, Russian media portrayed Trump as a pragmatic leader with whom Russia could engage. However, the Kremlin seems to be trying to shift this narrative to highlight Putin's strength amid potential peace negotiations, according to the ISW report.