No one in the Kremlin has watched the hit U.S. TV drama House of Cards, which features a sinister character bearing a striking resemblance to President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian News Service on Thursday.
When asked about Kremlin reactions to the show, the third season of which focuses largely on diminishing relations between Moscow and Washington, Peskov said: "We [at the Kremlin] have not watched it… and we have not heard that [Putin's] image was used."
The popular Netflix program centers on Machiavellian protagonist President Frank Underwood — played by Kevin Spacey — as he stealthily navigates internal Washington politics, while attempting to make a meaningful impact in the international arena.
Underwood squares off against his Russian counterpart Viktor Petrov as the two attempt to resolve a series of international crises, all while advancing their respective national agendas.
Petrov's depiction of Putin provides a fairly balanced mix of truth and fiction.
The two men share the same set of initials and similar coloring. But whereas Putin stands at just under 5'6," Petrov towers over most everyone he meets. The latter is played in the series by Danish actor Lars Mikkelsen, who is 6'3."
Both Petrov and Putin cut their teeth in the public sector with the KGB. But whereas Petrov boasts of a time in Afghanistan when he beheaded a Mujahideen fighter in Afghanistan and then strapped the severed head to a donkey, Putin's own illustrious KGB career was largely uneventful by all public accounts.
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