SNOOZIN' PUTIN PROPAGANDA: Vlad 'Dozes Off' as Ukraine Enters Olympic Stadium
When it comes to the public eye, there are very few actions by Vladimir Putin that are accidental. This is a world leader, (near-dictator), who is meticulous about the public perception surrounding him, and whose very presence atop the food chain in the Kremlin has been fueled by his PR cunning.
That’s why many are seeing through his silly little stunt at the Beijing Olympics.
The Russian president appeared to doze off during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Friday as Ukraine’s national team marched through the stadium.
Advertisement - story continues belowThe world leader was caught on camera slumped in his chair with his eyes closed as the athletes were introduced and their national anthem blared, according to the UK Independent.
Putin’s eyes then flitted open and he was up and at ‘em by the time the Russian Olympic Committee team entered Beijing’s National Stadium, standing to salute them.
Understanding that his own political fate could depend on how his nation interacts with Ukraine in the coming weeks, there is no doubt that Putin’s snooze was a cleverly concocted stunt aimed at bolstering an air of flippancy about the ordeal.
Russia is currently banned from Olympic play after a 2019 doping scandal forced the IOC to suspend the nation for four years.
