Media can’t seem to decide whether it’s Putin’s friends or enemies who naturally deserve to get shot.

Populist and nationalist Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot during a domestic appearance on Wednesday, and was immediately transported to hospital. Before any further facts could be established, the Western press had already framed a convenient narrative.

“How Robert Fico turned Slovakia into one of Russia’s only allies,” read a headline London’s Telegraph, only subsequently mentioning that he was “reportedly in a life-threatening condition after assassination attempt.”

It appears that even political assassinations now take a backseat to the news that someone is Putin’s pal these days. So instead, the reader was drawn to the article about a Russian ally, only to be mugged by the subheading suggesting, “Yeah, and look where that friendship with Putin got him!”

That’s a 180-degree turn (or a “Baerbock 360” if you’re in Germany) from their usual hot take, which is that it’s usually Putin’s enemies who get killed. Now it’s his friends, too, apparently.

In the time that it took for Fico to be admitted to hospital, the Western press had erased Slovakia’s sovereignty with the stroke of a pen. “Pro-Russia Slovak prime minister Robert Fico shot,” reported The National newspaper in Scotland.

“Europe on the edge as assassination attempt on pro-Putin Slovakian PM is branded ‘a wake-up call to the West,’” headlined Britain’s Daily Mail.

One might think........

© RT.com