Published: Less than 10 min ago
Nikolaj Choles, 32, son of Putin’s closest man Dmitry Peskov, squirmed heavily in the live broadcast.
When asked directly if he was ready to go to Ukraine as a volunteer soldier, the answer was:
– No, I don’t need to tick that box.
Following the mobilization order from the President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, summons orders came to many Russian men already the same day.
Opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s employees managed to trick Nikolay Choles, son of Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov, that they were calling from the recruitment agency. Therefore, live viewers could hear Chole’s answers when he was asked questions on the YouTube channel Populjarnaja politika.
“Will solve it on another level”
The presenter Dmitrij Nizovtsev introduced himself as an official at the enlistment office and invited Nikolaj to come there the next day for a medical examination. Nikolaj Choles replied:
– Aaa, of course I won’t come at ten o’clock tomorrow. If you know that I am Mr. Peskov, then you must understand that it is not right for me to come there. In short, I will solve it on another level. I need to figure out how to handle this properly.
He did not want to answer what “different level” meant. Then Choles continued to talk about tomorrow, saying according to Meduza newspaper:
– That I would come at 10 o’clock tomorrow – believe me, neither you nor I want that. I must first know how to handle this properly… If I have to defend the motherland, I have no problem with that. I need to know how expedient it is that I end up there. Now I am talking about certain political nuances.
He did not want to specify which “political nuances” it was about, but said:
– If I have to defend the motherland, don’t worry, I’ll be with you. But whether I come tomorrow or not, that’s another question.
Denied
Later in the broadcast, he was asked directly if he was ready to go as a volunteer soldier to Ukraine:
– No, I don’t need to tick that box. Now listen, I’m ready to go, but not because you ask. I will act in accordance with the advice I receive.
Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the presenter had indeed spoken to the son, but denied that the son had refused to come to the recruitment agency. According to Peskov, essential parts of the son’s answer had been cut out.
