DISINFO: Russophobia is a political tool created in the 19th century
SUMMARY
Russophobia is a political and ideological tool, deliberately created by Great Britain back in the 1820s-1830s. The goal was to sideline Russia from European affairs and prepare the ground for military interference. The Crimean war of 1853-1856 was the first manifestation of this anti-Russian ideology. Two other failed attempts date back to the end of WWI in 1918 and Hitler's invasion in 1941. However, the USSR's breakup in 1991 can be viewed as a success in this prolonged geopolitical operation.
RESPONSE
This is an example of a grand conspiracy theory frequently promoted by FIMI outlets. It claims that the West has been driven by an enduring and coordinated Russophobic agenda for centuries, supposedly aimed at weakening or destroying Russia. This fits a recurring Kremlin narrative portraying Western and European countries as inherently hostile towards Russia and engaged in a long-term campaign against it.
To sustain this narrative, pro-Kremlin outlets often blur the distinctions between Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, creating the false impression that Europe has pursued a continuous anti-Russian policy across different historical eras and political contexts. Such accounts routinely overlook the numerous conflicts and rivalries that have existed among today's Western countries themselves. They also frequently misrepresent historical events, including by portraying Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union as evidence of a broader and supposedly unified Western hostility towards Russia.
The claim also ignores Russia's own long record of imperial expansion and aggression. Examples include the invasion of Georgia in 2008, the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Concerns about Russian policies are therefore rooted in observable actions, not in an imagined tradition of "Russophobia".
In the absence of credible arguments, the term Russophobia has become a catch-all label used by the Kremlin to dismiss criticism of its policies and actions. This narrative has been particularly prominent since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, serving to portray Russia as the victim while deflecting responsibility for Moscow's aggression and violations of international law.
Read our analysis The “Russophobia” Myth: Appealing to the Lowest Feelings, as well as earlier disinformation claims alleging that Ukraine was invented in XIX century as an anti-Russian tool, that Europe’s Russophobia dates from 16th century, that Russophobia is long-term Anglo-Saxon project aimed at destroying Russia, and that EU's existential interest is to destroy Russia.