Digest of Russian media
Russian Media Reacts to Trump Inauguration: Astrology, Obama Divorce Rumors and Ukraine
January 20, 2025
One of Russia’s most popular pro-Kremlin dailies, Komsomolskaya Pravda, has analyzed Donald Trump’s inauguration from an astrology perspective and concluded that it would be a “cosmic-scale bomb” for the world.
“On January 16, Earth and Mars were in opposition. In other words, the red planet came as close to us as possible. And Mars, as we know, is the god of war,” Komsomolskaya Pravda noted. “Astrologically, such an event cannot bring anything good for humanity.”
In another article on the inauguration, the newspaper highlighted the irony of Trump being sworn in on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
“Symbolic? Perhaps. Or is it the irony of history, where Trump, who dislikes migrants, once again takes office surrounded by flags and fanfare?” it added.
The US presidential inauguration is a major event in the Russian media, with extensive coverage. The state-controlled weekly Argumenty i Fakty has published a guide on how and where to watch the ceremony, while regional news site URA.ru has scheduled a live broadcast on Rutube, a YouTube-like Russian video platform.
The preparations for the event have drawn attention. The still-respected daily Kommersant, which is hardly a Kremlin mouthpiece yet is always careful in its political coverage, has published an article explaining the inauguration process and expectations. Its reporters have noted that Trump was “barely concealing his irritation” over the Biden-ordered 30-day mourning period for Jimmy Carter, meaning flags would lowered through January 20.
Another widely discussed topic was Michelle Obama’s planned absence at the inauguration. Russian media, citing foreign sources, have spread rumors about a possible divorce between her and Barack Obama.
Multiple news outlets have reported that no Russian representative would attend the inauguration. Trump invited numerous world leaders, but as the press noted, Vladimir Putin was not among them – something confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.
Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign-policy advisor, mentioned that Alexander Darichev, a candidate for Russian ambassador to Washington, might attend, but he had yet to receive an invitation. Ushakov added that Russia had not established contact with the incoming Trump administration.
“I would not want to create the impression that in Moscow everyone is just sitting and waiting for a phone call from Washington,” pro-government news site Gazeta.ru quoted Ushakov as saying.
Meanwhile, media outlets continue to speculate on who will make the first move – Trump or Putin. Moskovsky Komsomolets, another pro-government daily, compared the situation to a romance, where “the question of who should phone first often arises.”
Still, in most cases, the state media has avoided negative or critical mentions of Trump and his inauguration, with criticism of Biden far more intense. Coverage of Trump appears either neutral or even positive.
For example, state-controlled media group RT published an article on January 5 about a New York court ruling related to Trump’s falsification of business records, featuring experts who called it “highly politicized and aimed at discrediting Trump,” blaming Biden and the Democratic Party.
“The US president-elect is well aware of this. The trial serves as a unique form of pressure on Trump by the Democratic Party, indicating the final decline of American democracy,” Dmitri Yezhov, an associate professor at Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told RT.
Another major topic is what Trump’s presidency will mean for Russia. The news site 360.ru published a big article on his plans, quoting an expert who argued that Trump will not be able to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, as he promised, but “he will strive to do it.”
“This was his main campaign promise – he has to deliver. I believe the issue of the special military operation will be resolved within six months,” said Vladimir Mozhegov, who has lately been a frequent commentator on US-Russia relations for Kremlin propaganda.
Mozhegov also claimed that Trump has a far more favorable view of Russia than Ukraine.
“He cannot stand Zelensky because of the terrible corruption, first and foremost. Enormous sums of money are pouring into Ukraine, and it’s all being stolen. Trump knows all about it,” Mozhegov said.
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has also chimed in on his Telegram channel, saying that Trump is trying to “remake the world.” He cited Trump’s rhetoric around annexing Canada and Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and taking on “the rapist [Keir] Starmer” and “the fool [Olaf] Scholz.”
“That’s what it is – creating a new, Trumpian political geography. A new, bright, colorful globe, completely different from the current, dull, gray one,” Medvedev wrote. “All of these ideas are pure fantasy and completely unrealistic. But still.”
“On January 16, Earth and Mars were in opposition. In other words, the red planet came as close to us as possible. And Mars, as we know, is the god of war,” Komsomolskaya Pravda noted. “Astrologically, such an event cannot bring anything good for humanity.”
In another article on the inauguration, the newspaper highlighted the irony of Trump being sworn in on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
“Symbolic? Perhaps. Or is it the irony of history, where Trump, who dislikes migrants, once again takes office surrounded by flags and fanfare?” it added.
The US presidential inauguration is a major event in the Russian media, with extensive coverage. The state-controlled weekly Argumenty i Fakty has published a guide on how and where to watch the ceremony, while regional news site URA.ru has scheduled a live broadcast on Rutube, a YouTube-like Russian video platform.
The preparations for the event have drawn attention. The still-respected daily Kommersant, which is hardly a Kremlin mouthpiece yet is always careful in its political coverage, has published an article explaining the inauguration process and expectations. Its reporters have noted that Trump was “barely concealing his irritation” over the Biden-ordered 30-day mourning period for Jimmy Carter, meaning flags would lowered through January 20.
Another widely discussed topic was Michelle Obama’s planned absence at the inauguration. Russian media, citing foreign sources, have spread rumors about a possible divorce between her and Barack Obama.
Multiple news outlets have reported that no Russian representative would attend the inauguration. Trump invited numerous world leaders, but as the press noted, Vladimir Putin was not among them – something confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov.
Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign-policy advisor, mentioned that Alexander Darichev, a candidate for Russian ambassador to Washington, might attend, but he had yet to receive an invitation. Ushakov added that Russia had not established contact with the incoming Trump administration.
“I would not want to create the impression that in Moscow everyone is just sitting and waiting for a phone call from Washington,” pro-government news site Gazeta.ru quoted Ushakov as saying.
Meanwhile, media outlets continue to speculate on who will make the first move – Trump or Putin. Moskovsky Komsomolets, another pro-government daily, compared the situation to a romance, where “the question of who should phone first often arises.”
Still, in most cases, the state media has avoided negative or critical mentions of Trump and his inauguration, with criticism of Biden far more intense. Coverage of Trump appears either neutral or even positive.
For example, state-controlled media group RT published an article on January 5 about a New York court ruling related to Trump’s falsification of business records, featuring experts who called it “highly politicized and aimed at discrediting Trump,” blaming Biden and the Democratic Party.
“The US president-elect is well aware of this. The trial serves as a unique form of pressure on Trump by the Democratic Party, indicating the final decline of American democracy,” Dmitri Yezhov, an associate professor at Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told RT.
Another major topic is what Trump’s presidency will mean for Russia. The news site 360.ru published a big article on his plans, quoting an expert who argued that Trump will not be able to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, as he promised, but “he will strive to do it.”
“This was his main campaign promise – he has to deliver. I believe the issue of the special military operation will be resolved within six months,” said Vladimir Mozhegov, who has lately been a frequent commentator on US-Russia relations for Kremlin propaganda.
Mozhegov also claimed that Trump has a far more favorable view of Russia than Ukraine.
“He cannot stand Zelensky because of the terrible corruption, first and foremost. Enormous sums of money are pouring into Ukraine, and it’s all being stolen. Trump knows all about it,” Mozhegov said.
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has also chimed in on his Telegram channel, saying that Trump is trying to “remake the world.” He cited Trump’s rhetoric around annexing Canada and Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and taking on “the rapist [Keir] Starmer” and “the fool [Olaf] Scholz.”
“That’s what it is – creating a new, Trumpian political geography. A new, bright, colorful globe, completely different from the current, dull, gray one,” Medvedev wrote. “All of these ideas are pure fantasy and completely unrealistic. But still.”
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Sofia Sorochinskaia
Russia.Post
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