CCTV's Morning News on April 8: Still no mention of invasion, war or massacre, and no attempt to correct the previous day's reports denying a massacre ever took place in Bucha. Get ready for some news with a distinctly pro-Russian point of view.
Key interviews include FM Sergei Lavrov, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Unusually for CCTV, the Russians speak in their own voices, translated with subtitles instead of getting paraphrased by the usual voice-over narration.
Thus, the Bucha massacre is a fabrication, Russia's invasion is not acknowledged, the US is waging war through sanctions, it's all NATO's fault, especially the US, and Russia and China are the only two countries really serious about peace and bringing an end to the violence.
Lavrov claims that the gains made in the Istanbul peace talks have been ruined by the US which is manipulating Ukraine's Zelensky into continuing his opposition.
Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman reports on the success of Russia's high tech weapons in striking Ukrainian positions with footage provided by Russian Ministry of Defense.
In a short segment describing the latest news on conflict, with word that Luhansk is the scene of fighting, CCTV mistakenly labels the above shot featuring Russia's Defense building as "Ukraine."
Russia's Prime Minister Mishustin addresses the Duma.
He says that despite being unfairly hit with unprecedented, record-breaking sanctions Russia will not collapse but stand firm. "They need our gas."
Caption: Russia hit with more Western sanctions than any country
Russian Prime Minister Mishustin assures the nation that despite heavy sanctions, thanks to the efforts of the Russian government, the economy will return to normal.
Putin spokesman Dmitri Peskov is next up in the all-Russian line-up.
"Sending weapons to Ukraine does nothing to help the peace talks"
CCTV's "journalists" voice the same complaint, wondering why Ukraine has shifted its position in the peace talks.The implication is that Ukraine, with the US and NATO maliciously scheming behind it, and fueling the fire with weapons, is not interested in peace.
The CCTV studio anchors have been at it all morning, including in the report key elements of the previous night's news. They are crisp, poised, professional in comportment and have certainly done a sober job of echoing Russian propaganda.
I'm not sure they believe what they're saying. Does this convince anyone?
It's hard not to get the feeling that China has ceded control of its foreign policy and is letting Russia take the lead. Beijing chimes in when it comes to bashing NATO/US, but lets Russia do the heavy lifting on Ukraine strategy and loyally promotes its propaganda to the world.
Thus, the Bucha massacre is a fabrication, Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not acknowledged--the dust-up is referred to as a "situation," the US is waging war through sanctions, it's all NATO's fault, especially the US, and Russia and China are the only two countries really serious about peace and bringing an end to the violence.
And that's the Kremlin follies, courtesy of CCTV, on Friday morning April 8. And if you believe what Beijing's information specialists are telling you about what is happening, and not happening in Ukraine, I've got a bridge to sell you, in Tiananmen Square.
