The Russian Federation has refused to open the door to journalists who attempt to report on their politics, with the president personally intimidating journalists who challenge his politics. When Moscow Times reporters attempted to enter what was an Open Meeting, they were immediately arrested and threatened by the guards.
Some of the reporters attempted to challenge the president. “I am the President,” he responded back. “I do what I want.”
The Russian President specifically cited the Moscow Times’ stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an action the president repeatedly referred to as a “righteous cause.” However, more than 7,000 civilians have been killed in the war in Ukraine, all while Russia’s GDP has decreased by 0.5 percent.
Freedoms for journalists and the media have greatly diminished according to watchdog group Freedom House, while 12 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war. Furthermore, Russian actions have been financially assisted by a variety of companies and countries.
ExxonMobil has spent up to 16 billion dollars on Russia since 2005, and left about 4 billion dollars in assets when they pulled back in 2022. When questioned about their assistance in Russia’s war, ExxonMobil’s Board of Directors were unable to provide clear responses. “Check the 10K,” said the President. “I don’t know the complete answer.”
ExxonMobil has aimed to uphold national and international law. President of Technology and Engineering LD DuCharme stated that “we are mainly focused on sustainability.” However, many executives also joked about the lack of consequences for violating the U.S. deal. “When you’re rich, you don’t lose time,” said the ExxonMobil President. “You lose money instead.”
Additionally, according to the US Treasury Secretary, China had made an offer to Russia to undercut the US-ExxonMobil deal at a cheaper rate. Chinese officials admitted the offer, but said that they had not entertained the deal. “We have no plans to further negotiate with Russia,” said the Chinese Finance Minister.
However, China still sends billions of dollars to Russia. “We have always been cooperating with them,” said the Finance Minister. “Nothing is new.”
However, Russia’s war has been bolstered by continuous funding. As one of the Moscow Times evicted journalists stated, “they pay for war, and receive its profits to shut down the press.”