DISINFO: Morally corrupt West is using the Kyiv Nazi regime to destroy Russia
SUMMARY
We have no right to allow what is happening in ideology, culture, and art in the West. These are processes leading to the erosion of ideals, and values that underlie civilisation itself.
What is happening in Ukraine, where power is in the hands of neo-Nazis [...] is eloquent evidence of how expensive it is to retreat from the spiritual heritage that helped win the fight against fascism.
The West in Ukraine does not stand up for democracy at all,[...] but uses the Kyiv regime to overthrow [Russia]. We are the main obstacle to the hegemonic aspirations of the US and their satellites, a civilization deeply alien to the current West, based on the values of humanism.
RESPONSE
A mix of recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives aiming to justify Russia’s unjustified military invasion of Ukraine by accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement. The article also promotes recurring narratives about Nazi Ukraine and threatened values.
The West has never strived to destroy Russia as a state. From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the West has been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow.
US President Joe Biden, speaking recently in Warsaw, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia. French President Macron stated that "Russia must be defeated but not crushed."
Pro-Kremlin sources often claim that President Vladimir Putin saved Russia’s values and identity from the threat of Western decadence and that he is the only world leader that protects traditional European and Christian values. “Threatened values” is one of the most common narratives used by pro-Kremlin outlets.
The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests. Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2019 election cycle, falling short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament. A law passed in Ukraine in 2015 bans Nazi and Communist ideologies.
For background, read our analysis: The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings.