EUvsDisinfo: Moscow’s attempt to reshape the world order
The events of recent days illustrate the privilege that authoritarian leaders enjoy when creating new narratives and affirming their image on domestic and international soil. Powerful control over the information space, achieved through brutal repression of independent media, as well as a mass flood of selected messages, can have a persuasive effect. A recent meeting between Russian and American representatives was presentedas a significant diplomatic success in Russia. Now Moscow keeps pouring out demands in an apparent effort to inflate its starting position in the negotiations and keep Ukraine and Europe out of the talks.
Russia smells the “good old days“
Russian state media are seeking to revive the “good old days“, when the USSR and the USA were dominant powers and were responsible for the entire world order. According to the narrative, Ukraine has created the security problem and is in the hands of “neo-Nazis“ and warmongers in Europe, as well as former US presidents Obama and Biden. Now Moscow and Washington, Putin and Trump, must correct the situation. This conceals the naked fact that Putin himself decided to create the problem: to invade Crimea in 2014, to start a war in Donbas, and to launch a full-scale invasion three years ago, on February 24, 2022.
Translation of Russian demands
We have seen it before - in the period preceding the Minsk I and II agreements in 2014 and 2015: Moscow negotiates or pretends to comply with the agreements, while at the same time exerting pressure with military attacks. The well-known language of force that Russia uses in a rough and brutal tone is further amplified so as to impress the opponent with an air of invincibility.
Moscow's demands can be translated as follows.
„Ukraine must demilitarize and not become a member of NATO“ means: Russia will retain the ability to resume military action or threats of military action whenever it wishes.
„Peacekeeping forces cannot include NATO member states“ means: keep US forces away, deepen the division between Brussels and Washington, and thwart a possible coalition of European countries willing to provide troops.
„President Zelensky is not legitimate and elections are needed in Ukraine“ means: try to overthrow President Zelensky. Make a deal between Moscow and Washington for the head of the elected Ukrainian leadership. Elections in a fragile situation are occasions for manipulation and division of society, limit certain political groups and power centers. Some commentators present Georgia and the change of political power in Tbilisi as an example.
„Realities on the ground“ means: recognition of Russian occupation and territorial expansion in Ukraine. Allowing Russian forces to recover their colossal losses.
„Building economic relations between the US and Russia“ should be read as: please urgently lift sanctions against Russia. The Russian economy is under severe pressure, even if Moscow pretends to cope. There is a solid desire to return to pre-war cooperation and break out of Western isolation.
Unrealistic expectations
The Kremlin’s vision in its entirety can be found in the proposals for two agreements that Russia presented in late December 2021 – one between Russia and the US, and the other – between Russia and NATO. Both were direct demands for recognition of Russian spheres of interest spanning all of Europe and a return to the situation of 1997. before NATO enlargement.
Other topics in this week's EUvsDisinfo roundup:
EU citizens will eat worms because of anti-Russian sanctions: No. This is a silly but eye-catching claim spread by TASS - the main Russian state news agency. The message seeks to create the impression that the sanctions are harming Europeans more than Russians. Inside Russia, this narrative is important for maintaining Putin's image as a masterful manager of all affairs and thus preventing criticism from within. To the European public, this message is yet another attempt to damage the policy of European governments towards Russia.
Angelina Jolie received $20 million from USAID to go to Lviv: No, this is a fabricated story, good for clickbait on pro-Kremlin platforms on the Internet. The story is falseand the video was not produced or distributed by „E! News“. „E! News“ confirmed to AFP that the video “is not authentic and did not originate from “E! News“. It has not been published on either the “E! News“ website or the website of “E! News“, nor on their social media accounts. There is no evidence that USAID funded the celebrities' trips to Ukraine. The narrative illustrates how manipulation works: take a hot topic, invent an emotionally charged story involving famous names you want to discredit. Claim that the information comes from a reliable source, and let it travel in multiple languages using fake accounts. Done. By the time the fakes are debunked, the false claims have already influenced the agenda and moved on.
Emotional stories leave a grain of doubt in the mind, which is called the “sleeper effect“. Meanwhile, while public attention is distracted, Russian forces are attacking civilian targets in Ukraine. We all need to choose a healthy “information diet“ and beware of clickbait semi-finished products.
The Moldovan leadership is not interested in ending the war in Ukraine: Also false. A misinterpretation and a pure lie, even though the author convinces us otherwise. The authentic quote from President Maia Sandu at the Munich Security Conference is unequivocal: “Nobody wants peace more than Ukraine. We in Moldova also want peace – we want a peace that is lasting and that will keep us in the free world“.
Let us not be fooled!
EUvsDisinfo/ translation: European Commission Representation in Bulgaria