DISINFO: The West has always wanted to destroy Russia
SUMMARY
It is clear that the essence of the West's policy towards Russia has always been that it is too strong and independent, and something needs to be done about it, preferably break it up. History is repeating itself. All these 50 countries (which support Ukraine) have gathered against Russia under Nazi banners and chevrons of the so-called Ukrainian army, taking into consideration the essence of Zelenskyy's regime.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing Western countries of Russophobia. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
From the emergence of the Russian Federation in 1991 and till its attack on Ukraine and the illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, the EU, the US and their partners were trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow. The Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, signed in 1997, said among other things:
“NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries. They share the goal of overcoming the vestiges of earlier confrontation and competition and of strengthening mutual trust and cooperation.”
Relations between Russia and Western nations have been deteriorating since 2014. The EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia for its aggressive policies. Sanctions have become stronger since Russia launched its large-scale aggression against Ukraine in 2022. Despite these sanctions and other restrictive measures, the EU and its partners do not want to dismantle Russia as a state. A strategic defeat of the Russian Federation does not mean its destruction. Western leaders have repeatedly said they are not striving for the collapse of Russia. French president Macron stated in February 2023 that ‘Russia must be defeated but not crushed’. US President Joe Biden, speaking in Warsaw in February 2023, addressed Russian citizens, assuring them that the US does not seek to destroy or control Russia.
The present-day Russian Federation’s two predecessors – the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union – broke up in 1917 and 1991 respectively largely due to economic and social reasons rather than because of external influence. The Russian Empire’s defeat in the 1905 Japan War and its poor performance in the First World War led to a worsening economic situation, political turmoil and the appearance of an active Marxist movement, which led to the breakup of the Russian Empire in 1917. The Soviet Union broke up in 1991 largely due to economic stagnation because of a sharp decline in oil prices and Moscow’s defeat in the Afghanistan war.
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