Peskov said Putin often "scolded" him for his "big mouth" and that after several harsh criticisms of him, he "simply didn't want to live."
| Author: Zheng Aotian Yu Bing
| Editor: Yu Bing
| Editor: Su Rui Lingyun
The situation in Russia and Ukraine continues to attract the attention of the international community, and Putin's "people around him" have also frequently spoken out.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, 72, never pretends to defend Moscow's interests and takes a tough stance;
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who does not speak much of the united states, said that he "criticized Western countries by name" and "denounced some US officials for saying 'shameful'" ...
Then there's the president's press secretary, Dimitri Peskov. In public, people will always find this man with a small moustache not far away.
From left to right, Peskov, Lavrov, and Putin are respectively.
This year marks Peskov's 22nd year of working with Putin.
For 22 years, the colleagues who worked with him, some disappeared from the political arena, some became high-ranking officials of the Kremlin, only Peskov, who has been working as a press secretary...
The Kremlin's "famous mouth"
The official title is not high, and there are many worries, many people describe the work of the russian president's press secretary in this way. But don't forget, he's also one of the closest people to Russia's center of power.
Every day, in addition to helping to draw up Putin's work itinerary, Peskov also completes one of the most important tasks – to speak out to the world on behalf of the Kremlin.
In the international political arena, Putin has always been known for being "talkative." But the country's leaders cannot be in front of the camera 24 hours a day, and Peskov, who is also the kremlin spokesman, has taken on the responsibility of representing the Kremlin in dialogue with the outside world.
Peskov
"Speech" is a high-level learning, especially on some important occasions. In the context of the continuous deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, Peskov will behave appropriately and forcefully between defense and counterattack.
On March 3, Peskov was added to the U.S. sanctions list. However, he himself did not care about this and appeared at the Kremlin media meeting 2 days later. He stressed to the Western media at the time that Russia would respond to the "economic plunder" of Western countries.
"The world is too big, there are too many countries. The United States and Europe can never isolate a country, much less a great power like Russia. Peskov said.
The world is so big, what can Americans do to him?
Peskov (right) looks at Putin.
In fact, as early as many years ago, the Western media had learned the skills of this "famous mouth".
In a 2014 interview with the BBC, Peskov said that "Russia will continue to respond as long as its national interests are threatened." This does not mean that Russia wants a Cold War, we just want the other side (the West) to know where our red line is and not to cross it. ”
His remarks at the time were seen as a "public warning" of Russia to the West after the "color revolution" in Ukraine.
However, Peskov was not always tough either.
When Putin visited Saudi Arabia in 2019, the Welcome Army Band went out of tune while playing the Russian national anthem, embarrassing the two heads of state. Soon, the video went viral on the Internet, and Peskov quickly came out to "put out the fire."
"Of course, they [the Welcome Army Band] are not the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. But in any case, the Saudi Arabian side did its best to show that it welcomed the president (Putin). ”
Peskov added, "Even a musician cannot guarantee that every note is on the pitch. ”
In just a few words, not only did it satisfactorily solve the problem of out-of-tune, but also praised the hospitality of the Saudis in passing.
Peskov, who has been fighting in the international arena for many years, has long practiced his "speech skills" to perfection. Russians call him a "celebrity" of the Kremlin, the White House considers him "Putin's royal propagandist," and even the Western media, which has been in direct opposition to him, have to admit that he is one of Russia's best diplomats.
From a diplomatic family
Peskov once told the media, "I am not a politician who has been elected, but a professional civil servant." I grew up in a family of civil servants and grew up with no interest in business. ”
However, the civil servants he said were not ordinary brick movers.
Born in 1967 into a family of Soviet diplomats, Peskov's father, Sergei Peskov, was an expert on the Middle East and Central Asia who served as ambassadors abroad to Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey.
Living with his parents in a foreign country since he was a child not only created his experience and vision far beyond his peers, but also allowed him to master English, Turkish, Arabic and other languages.
"There is an old saying in Turkey, 'There is only one right path in a person's life', and this is my view of life all along." Peskov said.
For him, the "only way" was to become a diplomat like his father.
As a student, he enjoyed reading world history and Russian history. His father would also pay attention to his cultivation outside of work, and how a professional diplomat should analyze and judge when dealing with things, all of which subtly affected Peskov.
In 1989, Peskov graduated with honors from his father's alma mater, the Department of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University. Subsequently, his son inherited his father's business, entered the Soviet Foreign Ministry, and was sent to the Russian Embassy in Turkey as a counsellor.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Peskov ensured the proper functioning of the embassy and was promoted to chief counsellor.
In 1999, when then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Turkey, Peskov was in charge of reception and interpreter at the time. This was also the first contact between the two.
A year later, Peskov was recalled to Moscow and successively served as deputy director and first deputy director of the Media Relations Division of the Information Bureau of the Office of the President, and gradually gained a foothold in the Office of the President. In 2004, Peskov became the deputy of Gromov, then the president's press secretary, as the president's first deputy press secretary.
Putin (left) and Peskov
He was responsible for information coordination, covering the preparation of major press conferences, various televised debates and conferences, and the Kremlin's "drama of the year", the president's "live connection" with the public.
"Sometimes I don't want to live"
For 22 years, as one of the most senior members of Putin's team, Peskov has also been a "target" in the Western media, but he has long been accustomed to it, "I have become immune to this and have learned to deal with them with humor." ”
In an interview, the reporter jokingly asked Peskov: "Have you ever sat in Putin's chair?" ”
Peskov replied emphatically: "No, I just sit in my seat, paying attention to the details." ”
Regarding Putin's private life, Peskov also responded, "Let's pay attention to what kind of president he is." And what kind of person he is, whether he has a wife or not - let him deal with it personally, we will not interfere. ”
In 2021, an annual income statement of Kremlin officials attracted attention. Among them, Peskov's income in 2020 is 12.527 million rubles (about 1.07 million yuan), and Putin's income in 2020 is 9.994 million rubles (about 510,000 yuan).
Peskov responded: "I have deposits in the bank, interest income, and funds left to the investment company. He also stressed that he benefited from the income from wealth management products, and he was not the only one who earned more middle-aged than the president of Russian government officials.
Sometimes, he also inadvertently reveals his relationship with Putin. Peskov's birthday is October 17, and Putin wishes him a happy birthday every year and prepares a birthday present. At work or outside of work, Putin would often joke with him.
But the biggest concern is how Peskov can work with Putin for 22 years.
He said Putin often "scolded" him for his "big mouth" and that after several harsh criticisms of him, he "simply didn't want to live." At the same time, he understands that at the top leadership, even the smallest mistakes can be magnified countless times by the kremlin's influence.
Before each major press conference, he had to arrive at the scene in advance to check for various hidden dangers to ensure the smooth development of the activity. But even so, he was worried about accidents.
Aside from possible technical glitches, his biggest concern is that some reporters will ask Putin "uncomfortable" questions. "Fortunately, the president has been able to respond well to these questions every time." Peskov said, "The president is willing to take responsibility for what he has said. ”
Putin also sometimes insists on his opinion. For example, he didn't want the press secretary to influence the pace of the press conference too much. "The president sometimes points this out very unceremoniously," Peskov said helplessly, "thank God, there are not many such cases." ”
A reporter once asked Peskov what the most intolerant thing Putin could not tolerate, and he replied without hesitation: "Incompetence and lies." ”
Capable of puncturing the "lies" of Western society in person, Peskov is naturally deeply appreciated by Putin.
Like many of Putin's "people around him", Peskov reflects Putin's "way of employing people".
He came from the "elite class" of the Soviet Union and had extremely high professional skills. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Peskov neither used his family connections to "go to the sea" nor did he rely on selling Soviet heritage as a "new upstart", but chose to stick to his job and serve the country.
In Putin's eyes, these are all places to be appreciated.
In Peskov's eyes, Putin is a erudite, experienced and intelligent leader. He once said: "It is my honor to work for him (Putin) and the good fortune of my life." ”
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