{"id":310836,"date":"2024-09-17T17:45:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T14:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=310836"},"modified":"2024-12-20T11:35:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T09:35:12","slug":"get-sergei-markov-off-british-airwaves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/get-sergei-markov-off-british-airwaves","title":{"rendered":"Get Sergei Markov off British Airwaves!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Matt Wickham, UCMC\/HWAG analyst<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, Sergei Markov, a long-standing propagandist in the Kremlin’s arsenal, has made it onto UK airwaves. This time on Times Radio, with the segment being reposted on its YouTube channel and gaining over a huge 300,000 views. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite veteran British journalist Adam Boulton dismissing Markov\u2019s Kremlin-sponsored rhetoric, the damage has been done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kremlin\u2019s mouthpiece has seized yet another opportunity to broadcast its nuclear saber-rattling threats to the British public in his most viewed english interview yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recurring issue is the UK media\u2019s bewildering decision to feature Sergei Markov, who has made multiple appearances on many UK News channels throughout the Russia-Ukraine war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This latest appearance on Times Radio represents another victory for the Kremlin, aligning perfectly with its hybrid warfare tactics since 2014 and undermining the progress the UK has made in limiting Russian propagandists’ reach by banning channels like RT (which plays a key role in Russian intelligence operations globally) and reducing their visibility on platforms such as YouTube. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UCMC reached out to the Times Radio for comment, but no response was received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sergei Markov talks to yet another British outlet. One of many interviews given since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Several things are immediately wrong with the interview\u2014beyond the fact that it shouldn\u2019t have happened at all. Firstly, Markov was introduced as a political scientist and a close advisor to Vladimir Putin. Let\u2019s unpack that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to call Markov a political scientist given his track record of promoting propaganda and conspiracy theories. While such tactics might boost one\u2019s career in Russia, they have nothing to do with genuine political science. Second, Markov currently has no official ties to the Russian government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s essentially a nobody\u2014a ranting lunatic whose theories are so extreme that even Russia\u2019s propaganda talk show 60 Minutes rarely extends an invitation to him. So Boulton\u2019s introduction is, frankly, misleading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the claim that he is a close advisor to Putin refers to 2012, when Markov had some respect and a sliver of influence. He has long been sidelined from any decision-making process and now operates independently, propagating his own narratives that fit the Kremlin’s agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real issue is that British audiences, who, let\u2019s be honest, lack a deep understanding of Russian politics, are misled into perceiving Markov as a credible source from the outset of the interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s almost ironic that even later in the interview, Markov himself indirectly refutes these claims of his \u201cclose ally to Putin\u201d introduction by admitting he is not privy to top-secret information and thus not \u201cin the know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markov\u2019s focus during the interview was on transmitting the Kremlin\u2019s nuclear threats, a common Kremlin tactic to instill fear and undermine the UK\u2019s support for Ukraine’s strikes on Russian targets deep within Russian territory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why are these major media platforms engaging with Markov? What do they possibly gain from it? Balanced journalism? Hardly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inviting Sergei Markov onto UK airwaves under the guise of \u201cbalanced journalism\u201d is a blatant example of false balance. By presenting him as a Kremlin official close to Putin, the media is legitimizing Kremlin propaganda and misrepresenting the truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s more, Markov is known for his extremist views, including his 2014 statement<\/a> that \u201cHaving sex between man and woman: normal. Having sex between man and man: not normal. Everybody knows this. Including gays,\u201d<\/em> and his regular claims that the Ukrainian government is a Nazi regime. Balanced journalism?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, his recent Telegram post suggests that the UK is plotting strikes on \u201cRussian cities\u201d simply because the British are “Russophobes”. However, the reality is that there won\u2019t be strikes on \u201cRussian cities,\u201d as Markov is trying to transmit, only on strategic military and lawful targets after Russia’s illegal invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With regards to “Russiaphobes” in the UK, its worth mentioning the Conservative government\u2019s (no longer in office) long infatuation with Kremlin money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after the Kremlin’s illegal operations\u2014such as the Litvinenko and Berezovsky assassinations and the Skripal poisoning, and Russian SVR operations that put huge numbers of the British population at risk due to radioactive contamination\u2014Boris Johnson, when serving as Foreign Secretary in 2018, had a rather cozy<\/a> relationship<\/a> with Russian Evgeny Lebedev, owner of the paper \u201cEvening Standard\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later revealed that Lebedev\u2019s father was a former KGB agent once stationed in London and has since faced Ukrainian and Canadian sanctions<\/a> for his continued contribution to tourism in Russia-occupied Crimea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite support for Ukraine\u2019s defense, the Conservative government\u2019s approach to Russian influence remains questionable and Markov\u2019s claims of Russophobia in London seem increasingly unfounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Screenshot: Sergei Markov’s inclusion onto Ukrainian sanctions List<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And so, don’t British media outlets have an ethical responsibility to avoid amplifying harmful or misleading content, not being a platform for it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Markov\u2019s inclusion on Ukraine’s sanctions list in 2018 for urging Ukrainian security forces to defect to Russia and his addition to Canada’s sanctions<\/a> list in 2022 for supporting Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine should be more than enough to justify halting his appearances on British airwaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it also raises the question: why is he not sanctioned by the UK and instead speaking to the British public?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I doubt that his appearance is an attempt by British media to remain \u201cimpartial.\u201d It\u2019s either that these media professionals (interview bookers) who have invited Markov on, either lack an understanding of how the Kremlin\u2019s hybrid warfare operates or fails to grasp how influential an interview with someone like Markov can be\u2014resulting in complications for UK government decisions regarding Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, and I hope this is the case, it\u2019s an effort to showcase Markov as the ranting lunatic with broken English and a thick Russian accent that he is, highlighting the absurdity of the Kremlin\u2019s narratives and portraying Russia\u2019s political scientists as a joke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One can only hope\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Matt Wickham, UCMC\/HWAG analyst Once again, Sergei Markov, a long-standing propagandist in the Kremlin’s arsenal, has made it onto UK airwaves. This time on Times Radio, with the segment being reposted on its YouTube channel and gaining over a huge 300,000 views. Despite veteran British journalist Adam Boulton dismissing Markov\u2019s Kremlin-sponsored rhetoric, the damage […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":311014,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[611],"tags":[35153,33078,35154,35156,35152],"section":[726],"form":[31943],"yoast_head":"\nGet Sergei Markov off British Airwaves!!! | UACRISIS.ORG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Written by Matt Wickham, UCMC\/HWAG analyst Once again, Sergei Markov, a long-standing propagandist in the Kremlin's arsenal, has made it onto UK | Uacrisis.org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/get-sergei-markov-off-british-airwaves\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Get Sergei Markov off British Airwaves!!! 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