barbaric power, ready to main, gobbled destroy without scruples or hesitation. the conflict in ukraine seems to have enhanced that image even further, at least in the perception of western audiences. does it make sense to even try to clear russians name? to discuss that i'm now joined by jenny. prima of had a for to me just run rushes agency for international humanitarian corporation. it's a prima conference, a great pleasure to talk to you. thank you very much for your time. now your agency has a rather long title and a broad mandate. so to help our audiences understand what she do and how you do it, how is your agency different from us 8, which is perhaps you are the biggest reaches competitor? well, it's fairly much difference. in fact, you know, even not taking into consideration the long name of it is 8 years is much shorter

and more user friendly. i wonder if our english speaking audience could even pronounce that also through. well, this is the part of the exposure to the russian culture. yes. so yes, it is much, much larger in terms of budgeting, 1st of all, and then they have that function of for international development. not of very much of all was fear of interest and the thing that we're doing, we are very much more concentrated educational issues on, on cultural issues like exhibitions and all the things that we would certainly prefer to do much more in international development. we're going to have that our governmental program at schools in english school that way for international development assistance for and if you don't, you have the intention but don't have enough fund. no,

we don't have enough funds. even with the funds that you have. how much geopolitics do you have to take into account? because with the u. s. head, they definitely they follow the american political life. assume you also have to further some of them. we function the lee and i'm part of the minister of foreign affairs. so we are a states federal agency bought in the structure of m a r certainly would do for lou old those greens like the importance of the closer like ex ussr republics, bots of the same time. so we're facing a bit of problems these days because of that geopolitics and who doesn't. oh, yes. mainly in certainly what's in eastern europe, in eastern europe, we have our, some of our offices, our cultural center. so full cultural centers being close recently,

like in slovenia, slovakia, my cydonia, montenegro, and others. in fact, our overseas in cultural centers in united states and reagan, were closed a loss here. our stuff was not expelled, but well, i will visit expired and not renewed. i guess that's in line with how the russian diplomatic personnel was being treated around the world. and i know that there is a sort of re shuffling both in terms of how resources are allocated and how staff is distributed around the world. do you think and from what i know, the russian foreign affairs minister wants to pivot more towards a non western world as perhaps a more promising area of international cooperation? is that how you envisage your work in the future? different is actually was started that shift ah,

a while ago. what i will just answered also did cheese boy juicy a kind of empathy, you know, a. so when i just started my work there, here in the agency is 2 years ago was started a shift a we were taking some stuff, positions from western europe and relocating them to use the biggest on and all this. this is much of a much more important why, why is that important? since you started a then before the geopolitical difficulties, the main aim of our agency is building trust. he's having those who committed in ties with russia, working with the public opinion. and in fact, if we lose support for public opinion, subway and looks,

and we're not that much harmful actually really well come adding to it, come patting to if we lose that friendly opinion towards russia in kill your storm . as for example, that would be painful for us for mr. promoteco, i'm sure you can predict our viewers next dancer, the military operation, the russia still conducting in the ukraine is definitely watched very closely in the, in its neighboring countries. and so to watch the excitement, do you think your work in your abroad and further abroad will have to change this strategy? the methods difficult term that weren't as a result of russia's recent decisions? well yes, certainly we need, we have to, we need to be more much more proactive. we can not rely upon only some cultural events like exhibitions, concepts. in fact,

we've all developed a small brochure. all that conflict was some very simple explanations. what was happening, starting from 2014, like what happened in our desa? so 2nd of march ray developing, who was, who was of the journalists call tallies was enough. ah, what is ida? ah, because he knew of people interested in these events. they certainly can search for the information on the web. they have those websites in soho, but let's take into consideration considerations and ordinary people like regular ones that don't know, they don't have a clue and what was happening and what is happening right now. and we've translated the brochures, couple of pages only very short and simple with just asian,

2 or 12 languages. are you sort only english and french? it's foresee, it's a romanian, serbian, and you come to this profession as a, as a war importer. and as a field trip, whether before dealing with previous life. yes, but you can still rely on that experience. do you think one brochure or even. 3 several brochures translate in multiple languages a no differently. this is one only one hint, a small part of a global, much more wide job actually. and this is not the way to persuade. this is the way to give instrument to persuade. it's uploaded to a website. so each and every person old around the globe could download it in p d. f format, print it, and use it. if they need to persuade their well friends or whoever. now i'm sure you follow the discussion here in and the one of their opinions here

is that russia has lost the public opinion battle or media war. do you agree with that? and do you think there was even a chance of winning? but being on an equal footing given the difference in media resources that happened with, in terms of not just broadcasting your point of view, but simply broadcasting defax that you see from your side. we definitely need to keep broadcasting it box of the same time. when you play according to rules that you do not control you all you all understand that are and see is band would need these bands. our news agencies, all bands. no, you have a problem with youtube. so trying to work of the same field. our opponents work is something that well or not that much effective.

and this is not a matter of how are you going to persuade because you don't manage the field. you don't manage the field, mainstream media in europe in the united states, brainwash public opinion. so i, i don't think that of that easy to change actually. well, you will be in part, i'm sorry for interrupting jammed out through real deeds, non just blah, blah blah from the mobile unit is the same time as to need to keep, keep broadcasting. now i remember when you 1st came to this position i, you posted the, i don't remember it was a tweet or maybe a facebook post about how the methods of this organization need to change and how you need to be perhaps far more practical and connected to the needs of, of the communities that you actually wanna benefit. so for example, having a well,

instead of let's say some, i don't know, contest language, cost contest dedicated to point alexander push can, is that practicality is still part of your job? and can you, can you actually do something meaningful by, at these methods with the limited resource as well with the limited resources. this is the, the main, the main points. so in trying to limit the limit goodness of the resources a no, no, no, this is a much oh for resources limited. the point is that yes, certainly we're changing our attitude and our programs that are becoming a bit, a bit of a more practical pragmatic. ah, just to give you a few examples. ah, we have some certain lands projects like some anniversaries of frosh in the philosophers or writers or poets or artists or

whatsoever. but at the same time this, that there should be a way to make it more social like as for example, last year was $200.00. he is in diversity of the say, yes. and i was visiting our cultural sense in berlin. and they had a really exposition of exhibition of graphics, ran some illustrative people work or to say of sky of crime and punishment or something. and i saw a rather old lady visiting it. she was actually alone the whole whole, where those features were submitted. and i was asking our head of the cultural center. why don't you make a seminar on some social problems are being described in the stay of ski works and well to just gather

people. so they start discussing, let's see, crime and punishment of them. they will certainly see who's going to be an interesting discussion in today's cause to live. there are some certain, some certain social program programs. well, uh, this is the way we need to understand. what is the needs for the audience to r m a hearing you correctly, that not only you have to do a lot of things, but the limited resources you need to do it in a new way that it's more creative. ok, now you still have to project a certain image of fresh and from my observation, even here in russia on the russian television, people dont always know that country well or perhaps don't always understand it's motivations accurately. if i were to ask you to describe russia what it is as a country, what it stands for, what it's values are in a couple of sentences. well, in a couple of samples. well, i mean,

i'm happy to dive and i'm all told story to be sure good luck cheesy, but it's still part of your job, your, for your project manager. because russia is becoming perceived as the continent or the quality. actually we have a number of families nodes in our terms, compatriots then or brush, are there any they don't have any ties with russia, but the traditional families from united states and farmers and so on. they asked our agency to relocate to russia to assist them. and we're trying now to find where they can well ransom lands or something in couple of russian regions . this is very important. we know the term russian world. this is not only boss compatriots. this is about values. and what kind of values

are 1st of all, as equality and tradition. and this is not something you do are being looked on the boss. this is a kind of all of you for the future. this is the way to manage all future. that awesome. a lot of families they need to rise. the children in adequate echoes fear adequate relations with others, with the notes will being in a crazy ball. things like b l, m l, g, b, t, and all these things. this is good. so conservative values. wow, know about conservative, but adequate. okay, well let's take an adequate break right now, but we will be back in just a few moments stating, ah ah,

ah ah, [000:00:00;00]

a ah, welcome back to was a foreign smith gave him up or had of such winchester russians agency, bro, or international humanitarian corporation. do you think you were talking before about the need to come up with new methods and new ways of doing business? do you think you may need a new name for yourself to to make it more appealing, more easier for people. all really things are really very much bureaucratic if we were and then geo, that would be much easier. but we are estates agency, so we need to do a lot, a lot of paperwork. okay, and you have to be true to your traditions as well. don't you think that some of the traditions are holding russia back and going it's initially certainly we need

to fight our crazy bureaucracy. first of all, there's we, as for example, if we can needs to start some project like, you know, of funding a network of fresh and schools as, for example, our 1st of all, what i get from the ministry of finance is that we are a state agency we cannot spend states money abroad. so we need to start elaborating sim will treaty ways to do so. uh, that's why russia is doing a lot on financing. again, agencies. we use them in agencies, do the job notes. russia directly. i'm not getting the credit for that. i mean for there's a problem issue. there's a problem. you seem to be very open about things you don't like here in russia.

that's not the very glossy image of the country, but at least it's, do you think that bureaucrats well not just about you. i think there is also a certain quality to russia of being able to accept what it is in both ways. so perhaps not so attractive ways do you think that is something that may appeal to foreign audiences. the russians, you know, accepting themselves for who they are, they're difficult history and they're challenging circumstances and perhaps, you know, they're, they're interesting. future of this is very much a philosophical, actually the point is that yes, we do have a lot of all internal problems. are the boys ease that when we speak to a foreign audience that he's a very tricky situation when we can criticize what we're doing,

what we are not very happy when we hear the things from a broad towards russia. this is all right. criticize, always serves but not, you know, not being happy with this is the problem actually, with all that thing about the foreign agents and so on and so forth with the russian position was we have certainly we have a position, a very adequate to say word whether the same time we have all the people being mad, being simply mad. now you mentioned that culture used to be a big part of your mandate cultural corporation, and we're seeing in many western countries efforts. no, just a sensor, but the right out counselor, russian culture, classical, irrational culture. you know, people like to call scan. you mentioned dust. they ask, it really is crazy, but i wonder how do you interpret that on that geo political level? do you think it's just need your reaction or do you think there is

a strategy there on the part of people who do that? well, i guess both. i guess both. first of all we have our, you know, very psychiatric reaction or what is happening. and then are we, as you know, very impulsive and done with the same time? certainly we do have some very, a strategic policy towards counseling, rational culture. i will give you a very funny example of that. as you may remember, the very beginning of the special military operation of the was this the you have ski course in italy, being bands of something. and i was reading commands on twitter. that was italian lazy writing something. what a shame we should not band the say if you because he's russian and there was

a brilliant command comment off. and now the tele lady like this, they asked was bands course in the states that was bent on because he was russian. but because he supported poor jim, i was brilliant. well, i guess that shows the level of education of certain people who leave comments. but, you know, russian culture, again, traditional rational culture has long been celebrated in the west and around the world for its ability to reach into the depth of the human soul. and if we indeed take the current conflict as an ontological battle between russia and the wisdom, perhaps it makes sense to you. but some of the of those works precisely because of the ability to sort of cut through the ideological chorus. do you think that has any relevance to what's happening today? certainly, it is actually, if you saw what was already called

a couple of times like a clash of civilizations or something. and certainly, russian civilization in terms of attitudes in terms of culture is very much different, is very much the jury last let's say 30 plus years our opponents would go smoothly trying to make us simple, easy and stupid. and that didn't work well. you know, i've been following american political science for quite some time, and i agree with you, it's a habit to present russia as this carrier of truth or barrick power, as opposed to the american score supposedly rely only on salts or smart power. and, you know, make friends and allies comply with their wishes because they genuine me. one . so, but we understand both. i think we would agree that it's not the case. but if you

look at other examples of russian humanitarian involvement of humanitarian investment, let's take, i'm gonna send, for example, there was a military impression there, but there was also a massive effort to invest in schools in bridges, in education. the level of financing wasn't part of the american, but the russians have never really taken credit for what they try to do. do you think that's still a problem in this day and age? definitely is. i worked in the song, i had a few missions there. and once i met a guy that fought against soviets, i actually, i made a lot of those, but that one was quite special. i love the guy who was covered with blog because it was catching him. she pulled whatsoever on the market. and he told me it was such a pleasure to fight with you because you fought, honestly,

we saw your soldiers. we fought against those. you fought against us directly. at the same time you were building hospitals, schools and all this stuff. but those americans, we even do not see them, the boom bust from somewhere from out of space and thus saith also. i saw a great respect, actually 2 things being done by soviet union, by russia, even taking into consideration that we were fighting. do you think that may repeat itself in ukraine because there is also a question of how this war is fought in ukraine. the portrayal you see in the western media is absolute, blah thurston. as you know, russians being not just barbaric but killing people for the sake of kneeling. but i think the weights viewed from the inside. i do think there is a certain dignity that the russian military force to itself and how it fights. it's all in the war as do you think the ukrainians as much as they hate us,

understandably, hayden, this country right now, do you think they come? they will come to the same realization a couple of years, a couple of decades down the line. i hope so. i don't know how much time would it take actually, but we're doing a lot even though, even though, again taking into consideration we can not spend our agency cannot spend state money brought. or we have a partner organization and, and you, russian, committed admission. they're actually deliberately committed an aide there and not only food but, you know, medical instruments was surgical equipment and so on. ah, and we hope that if the say at say, at some moment that will work. actually, just people will start to understand that, ah, i'm keeping with russia, keeping up with russia is

a thing awful dignity police prosperity. others is good. this is, oh again, no, no, almost, i would say now you're working with the rest of humanitarian mission. before taking this post than i know it took you to the african logan's region where people have waited for russia to intervene for quite some time. i'm going to ask you a sensitive question, but it's anonymous question on the last that given that russia is perceived as an aggressor. don't you think that perhaps russia, on the contrary, waited for wait too long to how those people on humanitarian grounds. i'm of bureaucrats. i'm logged in a position to criticize decisions, but at the same time, asking you in your former capacity, i'm a citizen. and yes, certainly, i think that our intervention in terms of military regular military

intervention but doing something to assist this people to save them. this is the thing that should have been done long before these events started. so would it be fair to say that russia, instead of being impulsive, was actually very hesitant when it comes to ukraine and i originally, we were giving chance to talk some time ago. we called those phase and people partners, but now i don't know how to call the opponents. let's say opponents. we're giving a lot of chances to you create to solve the problem. we were relying upon those means good agreement for a long while. bothwell is finished. well, well, it's not finished, but let's hope that when it is finished,

then your agency will be able to do it please a little bit to make sure that the russian, your brain is not like each other. them. kevin, at least, you know, communicate with a separate mac off. it's been great pleasure talking to them and thank you for watching hope to see you again on the worlds apart. next week with me. ah ah, needs to come to the russian state will never be outside as on the northland scheme

diva. i'm not getting calls all set up for a group in the fifty's that would be okay. so 9 is $25.00. i'm speaking with ben in the european union. the kremlin, can you? yep, machine. the state aunt rush up to date and our t spoke neck. even our video agency, roughly all band on youtube with only one main thing, is important for naziism, internationally speaking to that is that nations? because that's allowed to do anything, all the mazda races,

the reason us had germany is so dangerous. is it the law? the sovereignty of all the country or is business and business is good and that is the reality of what we are facing, which is fashion. ah hm. mm. ah . with a