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FT Names Russian Propagandist Margarita Simonyan One of 2025’s Most Influential Leaders
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The Financial Times has named Margarita Simonyan, the Russian propagandist and head of Russian media outlet Russia Today, to its list of the most influential people for 2025.
According to the publication on December 5, Simonyan is recognized in the “Leaders” category.
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The Julia Ioffe, an American journalist of Russian descent, described her as “most fiercely loyal messenger” and “Valkyrie of propaganda.”
“Since the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, she has been an advocate for annexing Ukrainian territory. After the full-scale invasion in 2022, she [Margarita Simonyan] has called for even more extreme measures, such as using Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea to starve the world into submission and detonating a nuclear bomb in the atmosphere above Siberia to paralyse the world’s communication systems,” Ioffe notes.
As reported by Financial Times, Russian propagandist is also seen as “ostentatiously religious woman.” The Russian propagandist is convinced that the West “is jealous of Russia,” especially, according to her, the United Kingdom.
Margarita Simonyan has been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States for her involvement in Russia’s state-run media and her suspected participation in foreign influence campaigns. These measures are part of broader efforts to combat Russian disinformation and its interference in international elections.
Beyond her role in the media, Margarita Simonyan has participated in numerous cultural and political debates, frequently echoing the Kremlin’s views on global issues. Her influence goes beyond journalism, making her a key player in Russia's information warfare and its international media strategy.
Earlier, Russian state media personalities tried to spin the deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy as a provocation orchestrated by the West, aimed at sabotaging potential talks with Moscow. They described it as a calculated attempt to create a “new Bucha” scenario.
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-9220540186162ee79463169b5478a8d5.jpg "Soldiers of Ukraine’s 40th Coastal Defense Brigade prepare a SHARK UAV for a mission in Kherson region, January 2025. (Source: Getty Images)")
