DISINFO: Daughter of Putin's spokesperson lived in dire poverty in France
SUMMARY
Dmitry Peskov declared that his daughter Elizabeth was never part of the golden youth.
She had a difficult life when she studied in France, she had to live in poverty and solve a lot of problems. She had a very difficult life, difficult studies, not only in Russia, she also studied in France. She always lived there in very poor, in very Spartan conditions.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin narrative stating that Russian leaders and their families live in very modest conditions contrary to what anti-corruption investigation groups claim.
This excerpt is from an interview with Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's official press secretary, which was published on the MGIMO 360 channel, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs publication. In the interview, Dmitry Peskov responds to several questions about his family.
The "interview" looks more like offering a helping hand to Peskov in his attempt to deflect attention away from the elitist lifestyle documented by independent investigative journalists.
In France, poverty is defined as individuals having only 60% of the median income to live on, and extreme poverty is defined as having only 40% (836 euros per month). It is estimated that around 9 million people in France experience material and social deprivation, as defined by Eurostat, with 750,000 living in extreme poverty.
Elizaveta Peskova's standard of living, both during her time in France and later in Russia, cannot be described as 'very poor' or 'very Spartan.' As Le Monde wrote:
Liza lived in Paris. Until the age of 18, she studied in the best private establishments and speaks French without a hint of an accent. Her Instagram account (250,000 subscribers) reveals a golden life as a jetsetter: designer dresses, openings in art galleries, tanning by the Black Sea in Sochi, tourism in Turkey, shopping in Paris...
See also this article from 7sur7.be on the same topic. She also co-owns 25% of an apartment on Avenue Victor Hugo in a prestigious district of Paris which was purchased for 1.77 million Euros in 2016.
This pro-Kremlin narrative often aligns with the claim that European elites are corrupt and lead opulent lives while allegedly betraying the European people by following the orders of a global conspiracy.
Read also related stories such as No pro-Kremlin oligarchs exist in Russia.