Russian leadership tries to demonize Ukraine to make war more acceptable

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Nikolai Patrushev

The large-scale war in Ukraine is nearing its three-year anniversary. More than one million people have been killed or wounded, and yet, Russian officials continue to question Ukraine’s right to exist as a free and independent nation.

In January, Nikolai Patrushev, presidential aid, former secretary of Russia’s Security Council, and former director of the FSB domestic intelligence service, told Russian media that Ukraine could cease to exist as a country this year.

“Despite claiming a ‘fraternal’ bond between Russians and Ukrainians, [Patrushev] blamed the destruction of Ukrainian cities on Ukraine’s supposed ‘violent enforcement of neo-Nazi ideology’ and ‘ardent Russophobia,’” the British Military Intelligence assessed in a recent estimate on the war in Ukraine.

Patrushev is a highly influential figure in the Kremlin. His views and statements often influence Russian policy.

“Russian leadership rhetoric and frequent allegations of Ukrainian Nazism prior to, and since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, almost certainly seeks to influence Russian military personnel and the domestic population into participation in, and support for, Russia’s war in Ukraine,” the British Military Intelligence added.

“It seeks to take advantage of the deep historical and psychological impact of Russia’s war with Nazi Germany to foster perceptions of Ukraine and Ukrainians as a threat, thereby justifying the Russian invasion. Such narratives have been supported and proliferated by Russian state-controlled media,” the British Military Intelligence stated.

A war is fought much easier if you demonize your opponent. That tactic is as old as warfare itself. By demonizing Ukrainians, the Russian leadership wants to make its “special military operation” easier to accept for both its troops and the population.

“Patrushev’s comments form part of a longstanding pattern of anti-Ukraine statements by senior Russian officials, which seek to undermine and threaten Ukrainian nationhood, identity and culture,” the British Military Intelligence added.

However, “this contradicts Russia’s recognition of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty following the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as international recognition of Ukraine,” the British Military Intelligence concluded.

A distorted view of nationhood

One of the primary reasons behind the large-scale invasion of Ukraine was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s belief that the Ukrainian nation does not exist. During quarantine, the Russian leader started researching old historical documents on the history of Russia and Ukraine, as well as the origin of the Russian people. He even authored a paper on the topic that was published a few months before the large-scale invasion.

In 2021, writing about what he believed to be the historical origins of the Russian and Ukrainian people, Putin said that during that year’s Direct Line annual televised Q&A event, when he was asked about Russian-Ukrainian relations, he replied that Russians and Ukrainians “were one people – a single whole.”

“These words were not driven by some short-term considerations or prompted by the current political context. It is what I have said on numerous occasions and what I firmly believe,” the Russian leader added.

During the discussions that led to the “special military operation,” Kremlin officials told Putin that the Ukrainian people would welcome the Russian troops with open arms, glad to do away with the “oppressive Ukrainian government.”

Yet that didn’t happen.

To be sure, there is a portion of Ukrainian people who would like to be part of Russia. Since 2014, pro-Russian separatists have been fighting for their independence, but they only comprise a very small part of the Ukrainian population. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians reject the Kremlin’s notions of nationhood. And they have proved it with an astounding defense and heavy sacrifices against Russia’s aggression.

Feature Image: Then- Security Council Chief Nikolai Patrushev (third from left) attending the grand meeting marking the Russian Emergency Ministry’s 20th anniversary and the Rescuers Day at the Moscow Youth Palace, December 27, 2010. (Photo by Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti)

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Stavros Atlamazoglou

Greek Army veteran (National service with 575th Marines Battalion and Army HQ). Johns Hopkins University. You will usually find him on the top of a mountain admiring the view and wondering how he got there.

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