Kremlin Distances Itself From Controversial Trump Comments

The Kremlin has distanced itself from statements made by controversial TV host Dmitry Kiselev, who compared U.S. President Donald Trump with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un on his show aired by major local state-run network Rossiya.

“Stances of the Kremlin and state-run television are normally close, but not always,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by state-run news agency RIA Novosti. “So it’s not correct to equate the stance of a TV host on U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with that of the country’s leadership.”

“[Kiselev] is a well-known analyst with his own viewpoints, with his own understanding of political and international issues,” Peskov went on to say. “So his viewpoints shouldn’t be identified with the official position.”

“The world is one step away from a nuclear war with all its catastrophic consequences,” Peskov said on his most recent show Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) this past Sunday. “It could break out because of confrontation between two characters, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. Both are dangerous, but which is more dangerous?”

Kiselev is known for controversial anti-Western statements, which normally went unnoticed by the Kremlin. He once said that Russia could turn Washington into “radioactive dust” and also compared Obama’s policies in Ukraine with those of Adolph Hitler’s during WWII.

Related Stories

Related Story

Why One European Company Is Launching Seven Channels in Russia