The Kremlin is attempting to disassociate itself from claims by its top media pundits, who've branded U.S. President Donald Trump as being a greater danger to Moscow than North Korea's leader.
Moscow's reaction follows a notable drop in enthusiasm in Russia's state-dominated media for the Trump administration. Dmitry Kiselyov, whose weekly news review show on Russia's state-run broadcaster has served as one of the most widely-watched pro-Kremlin programs in Russia, turned his attention to North Korea last week.
"War can break out as a result of confrontation between two personalities - Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un," Kiselyov said. "Both are dangerous, but who is more dangerous? Trump is."
The Kremlin, which has denied having a hand in Trump's election campaign, one that was markedly more pro-Russia than his rival's, drew a rare line at Kiselyov's analysis.
When asked about Kiselyov's comments, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the presenter's position was "usually close" to the governments, "but not every time."
"This notable analyst has his point of view, his own political and international views of the world," Peskov told the Interfax news agency. "That is why we should not identify this as an official position."
Trump's presence in Russian media has none the less shifted radically from the immediate aftermath of the election. In January he was the only public figure mentioned more often than Putin in Russia - the rise in coverage of Trump was linked with speculation that a potentially pro-Russian policy might lead to lifting of Ukraine-related sanctions.
But after the dismissal of U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn for misleading the White House about contacts he'd had with Russian officials, Russian media has tempered both the frequency and tone of mentions of Trump. A handful of prominent state news outlets including the evening TV bulletin even omitted the Flynn story from their broadcasts, and have shown reduced enthusiasm for the administration since.
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