The topic of NATO is a key focus of Russian propaganda, which builds a network of fabricated narratives, manipulation and disinformation. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, 11 Eastern European states and three former Soviet republics became members of the Alliance. This expansion of NATO caused considerable concern in Russia. However, in 2000, when Putin was president, he did not rule out the possibility of Russia joining the Alliance. Then came a sense of unwarranted paranoia about an imminent threat from the West, which began to shape Russia’s perception of NATO, portraying the alliance as a cunning adversary that was gradually encroaching on Russia’s borders. This toxic discourse became especially noticeable after the Euromaidan, which marked the final exit of Ukraine from the Russian orbit and a bold step on the Euro-Atlantic path.

NATO through the lens agitpropacquis

Agitprop portrays NATO as an anti-Russian alliance that harbored long-standing plans to attack Russia. Propagandists often portray NATO as an aggressive and aggressive organization that deliberately provokes Russia with regular military exercises in an attempt to incite war. They claim that NATO’s participation in global conflicts only exacerbates them and destabilizes regions, rather than promoting peace. Operation “Allied Power” or the so-called NATO bombing of Yugoslavia are often cited as examples. In addition, propagandists claim that since the 1990s, NATO has been constantly trying to provoke Russia with its eastward expansion policy. They often refer to the alleged assurances given to Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand further east after German reunification in 1990. These “assurances” were not officially documented and, even if given, were discussed at the time in relation to East Germany, not the territory east of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany, which has been a member of NATO since 1955). In addition, the Russia-NATO Founding Act of 1997 does not prohibit the establishment of permanent NATO bases in Eastern Europe.

What about Finland?

Trying to justify its actions, Russia propagated the idea that Ukraine’s desire to join NATO poses a direct threat to its security. Finland, a former neutral state, is a case in point as it joined the alliance in April 2023. Thus, Russia shares a common border with NATO along its entire western border (with the exception of Ukraine and the puppet state of Belarus), while the Alliance controls most of the Baltic Sea coast. Interestingly, Ukraine’s intention to join NATO would have prompted Russia to launch pre-emptive invasions (first in 2014, then in 2022), but the actual entry of neighboring Finland provoked a much weaker response.

How do propagandists react to the NATO summit in Vilnius?

On the eve of the summit, Moscow tried to draw unclear “red lines”, and representatives of the Kremlin threatened that Russia could resort to nuclear weapons if the Alliance continued to approach Ukraine and make concessions. During the full-scale war, Medvedev even issued 57 nuclear warnings. In addition, Russia has kept the world on edge by threatening to sabotage the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in hopes of undermining NATO’s resolve to join Ukraine. Russia is trying to revive an atmosphere of nuclear fear reminiscent of the Cold War, using typical retro-propaganda tactics. Retro-propaganda involves invoking nostalgia for the past and evoking feelings associated with previous eras. By emphasizing or idealizing aspects of the past, propagandists seek to convey the fact that Russia remains “strong” and commands respect, just like the USSR during the Cold War.

Several anonymous Telegram channels that spread pro-Russian rhetoric spread the idea that Ukraine had stepped up a counteroffensive specifically timed for the summit. They hinted that President Zelensky had instructed his troops to advance at any cost to appease his partners. With this narrative, propagandists seek to create the false impression that the Ukrainian president does not value the lives of soldiers, implying that Ukrainians are sacrificing their lives in vain for NATO interests and that Ukraine has no influence on the situation because minor players do not have the right to make decisions. The propaganda aims to instill discouragement among Ukrainians by feeding the idea that their defeat is inevitable and that they do not matter. – read the entire article and comment on contributors.ro