US political analyst calls censorship of Russian media a sign of Western weakness

American political scientist Garland Nixon said on Thursday, December 19, answering Izvestia's question about the freedom of Western journalists in Russia and banning Russians abroad, that censorship of Russian media in the West is a sign of weakness.

"I think the censorship of Russian journalists in the West is a sign of weakness. It's a sign that the leadership in the West is trying to confuse, propagandize and mislead people because, frankly, I think the leaders of Western countries don't want their people to realize that our foreign policy is not in the best interests of working class people. I don't think that's the case in Russia," he said.

The political scientist argues that Russia is more open and honest with its citizens and the international community about its domestic and foreign policies than other countries. In his opinion, this openness allows other countries to get information about what is happening in Russia directly by asking questions.

"I just feel that the Russians don't need to hide what's going on, as is required of many leaders in the West, in order to continue to mislead their people and pursue foreign policies that are destroying the economy and society. All of this speaks well of their level of culture," Nixon concluded.

Earlier in the day, a journalist from the U.S. television channel NBC News who attended Russian President Vladimir Putin 's press conference told Izvestia that his goal was to convey the position of Russia and its people to audiences in the United States.

"Results of the Year" with Vladimir Putin took place earlier in the day and lasted 4.5 hours. This format, which combines a direct line and a press conference for the media, allows the president to convey his position not only on citizens' issues, but also on the state and world agenda, which is often asked about by journalists, including those from Western countries.