Russian State Propaganda Amplifies Support for Putin and Undermines Peace Efforts in Ukraine

EUvsDisinfo: Turning the war into a crusade

At the beginning of May, Russian state propaganda is tuned to two frequencies: reinforcing support for Putin ahead of his re-coronation today and undermining the prospects for peace and support for Ukraine, especially in Western societies. In both directions, the sound is amplified all the way. The streets of Moscow are decorated with (even more) pictures of Putin and brave heroes, and with billboards asking to remember the battles of the 1940s. Then comes May 7 to May 9 – the date of the traditional Victory Day celebration, which has been the cornerstone of modern Russia’s raison d’être.

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Not to mention the victims

But today something is different. Amid more images of Jesus Christ filling the streets of Russia, news has emerged that the Immortal Regiment parade will not take place. This march started as a big campaign in honor of the fallen veterans, and later the Kremlin, as they say, took it. The marches of the “Immortal Regiment” gathered millions of ordinary Russians. By the end of 2010, they were the largest public demonstrations in recent Russian history and created a festive atmosphere.

Now, given the high, if mysterious, death toll from the undeclared war against Ukraine – the so-called “special military campaign” – it’s not hard to imagine the PR damage to the Kremlin if citizens replace photos of proud World War II veterans. photos of a father, son or brother recently killed on a battlefield in Ukraine.

Last year, the march was canceled in mid-April and replaced with calls for people to take part in virtual marches online. This year, the official reason given for the cancellation was unspecified “security issues”. Instead of a big parade, the unknown member of the Duma, Elena Tsunaeva, carefully encouraged citizens to choose their own way to honor veterans, starting on May 1 and continuing every day, in a place any and in any form – according to their. taste Which, of course, is far from the effect you want from pompous pictures from a big movement.

Crusade

This year the emphasis is on sacrifice, including the sacrifice of one’s life, and to bring glory to native Russia. Walk the streets of Russia and you will get the impression that Putin receives his blessing from Christ. Jesus sacrificed himself for a noble cause. The message that the main Russian state TV programs promote is that your life has a higher purpose than just surviving. We predict that official Russian speeches in the coming days will highlight the almost sacred nature of Russia’s campaign against infidels and include heavy doses of accusations against “Nazis ” imaginary or the “Kiev junta/neo-Nazi regime”. In reality, these racists are only targeting those who hold opposing political views.

Shattering hopes for peace

The Russian state-controlled media and the Kremlin have campaigned against the peace conference to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland. The tone gathered compared to the previous weeks. Now the media is openly mocking him and rejecting the conference. Russia’s ambassador to Switzerland, for whom it would otherwise be logical to participate in the conference, said that [тя] “It will become a noisy but weak PR campaign”.

Undermining the European elections

The upcoming European Parliament elections on June 6-9 rarely receive special coverage in the Kremlin-controlled media. However, commentators have found it difficult to criticize the parliament for not reflecting the will of the people or for interfering too much in Russia’s internal affairs. They also denounce EU decisions and policies, especially EU sanctions against Russia, as economically irresponsible.

Belarus is preparing for a counterattack

We cannot fail to note the recently adopted military doctrine of the Belarusian forces. In a speech to the National Assembly of Belarus on April 25, Lukashenko said that representatives of the opposition of Belarus, who have left the country, intend to seize the region of the city of Kobrin in the west of Belarus and hand. it’s over to NATO troops. Russian state and pro-Kremlin media have been blowing the issue wildly and repeating warnings that Minsk henceforth considers it possible to use defensive measures to prevent aggression. Sound crazy? Knowing the way Lukashenko sees the world, in order to realize this fantasy several battalions must be moved to the west.

EUvsDisinfo/ translation: Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria