RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE

Moscow savors — but with caution. RT headlines 'Dialogue with Russia must be restored' by directly quoting Radev, positioning restoration of dialogue as the main story. The RT article is remarkable for what it includes: a lengthy Radev quote invoking Macron, the Belgian prime minister, and Merz to justify returning to dialogue. Radev is presented not as Moscow's ally but as a pragmatic European saying aloud what others think quietly.

TASS takes a different angle: Leonid Slutsky, chair of the State Duma's international affairs committee, declares Radev's victory 'testifies to society's fatigue with Russophobia at the expense of national interests.' This is the Kremlin's classic narrative: Russophobia is an irrational choice, and European peoples are returning to reason.

But the crucial detail comes from Peskov himself, cited by TASS and Ukrainska Pravda: 'We are encouraged by Radev's statements, but it is too early to draw general conclusions about a climate change in Europe.' Moscow knows Radev could follow Orbán's path — useful for vetoes, but not reliable ally. The Kremlin manages expectations.