Published 23 September 2022 at 10.11
Foreign. Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov is one of the most vocal defenders of the war in Ukraine. But when his son Nikolaj is called by a prankster pretending to be calling from the muster office, the son announces that he refuses to come there the following day.
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The bus caller, who is linked to opposition activist Alexei Navalny's organization, pretends to be calling from the Russian military and claims that the son of the top Kremlin official has received a call-up.
– We have sent two invitations, one by letter and one via GosUslugi (Russian Kivra, FT's note). We wonder partly why you haven't answered and partly whether you intend to come to the muster at 10.00 tomorrow?
– Of course I don't intend to do that, says Nikolaj and continues:
– You must understand. I am Mr. Peskov, so it is not right that I should be there. I will solve this on another… another level.
Nikolaj then refused to explain what he meant by “different level”. And he also did not want to answer whether he was prepared to be deployed at the front in Ukraine.
– I don't need to tick that box, he answered the direct question from the “military”.
He then added that while he had no problem with “defending the motherland” he does not intend to do so because the military is calling, but “in accordance with the advice I receive”.
– If I have to defend the motherland, don't worry, I'm with you. But whether I will come tomorrow or not, that is another question, he said, according to the EU-based Russian-language newspaper Meduza.
Dmitriy Peskov confirmed after the call that his son had a conversation with the bus-calling presenter, but claimed that several parts were cut off and that the son never refused to come to the enlistment office.
After Vladimir Putin's mobilization order, summonses were sent to many Russian men already on the same day. Protests have broken out in several parts of the country and many Russian men have tried to flee to Europe to seek asylum, but there are currently no flights there.
Currently only the Finnish border is open to Russians, but the Finnish government is said to be considering changing that.
There is also work underway within the EU to exempt summoned Russians from the otherwise sacred right of asylum within the Union.