Putin gets dose of love on state TV as his popularity slides

The first hour-long episode of “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” broadcast in prime time on Rossiya-1 TV on Sunday featured breathless commentary on Putin’s meetings and visits in the past week, including footage of him on vacation in Siberia and meeting with students in Sochi. A discussion on a controversial pension reform that has dented Putin’s popularity praised the president’s sense of responsibility in tackling the issue, while failing to mention protests attended by thousands of Russians in major cities.

“Putin doesn’t only love children, he loves people in general,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told host Vladimir Soloviev during a segment on the president’s attitude to Russia’s young. “He’s a very human person.”