Vintage Reds were delighted to welcome Tony Kevin to talk about
his book, Return to Moscow (University of Western Australia, 2017).

Tony worked for thirty years as a diplomat, including as ambassador to Poland and Cambodia in the 1990s. His first posting was in Moscow in 1969-71, and he made brief visits again in 1985 and 1990.

In 2016 he made a 4-week trip to Russia as an independent traveller. Tony is a Russophile, and gave a strongly pro-Russia talk. He believes that we are completely unaware of how overwhelmed we are by Western anti-Russia news. Whereas in other news story we presume some state of regularity, when the news is from Russia we presume irregularity. In the misinformation echo-chamber of the West it requires a huge effort of will and intellect to judge things from the outside.

Tony gave alternate readings to a series of news items, from the Skripals’ poisoning to the use of nerve gas in Syria. Putin is no saint, but has an approval rating of 80% and is “an honourable man”, though this term needs interpretation. The West needs a malign enemy to validate its extraordinary levels of military spending.

Tony does not support the International Campaign against Nuclear Weapons because he thinks Russia needs a nuclear deterrent. Previously Soviet states are now independent and lining up to join NATO; Russia is surrounded by hostile countries.

Photo: Tony Kevin signs his book

Tony recommends the Russian government-funded news site https://www.rt.com, “Russia Today”.