Russian politicians and state media use information reported in the public space for a longer war in Ukraine, said NATO Strategic Communication Excellence Centre Stratcom senior expert for diplomatic affairs Elīna Lange-Ionatamišvili.
Commenting Kremlin’s narration for Russian residents, she admits – the main thing to take away is that the war in Ukraine is going as Russia had planned. «Russia has been repeating this from the start. However, the narrative has changed in the sense that Russia has started preparing its domestic audience for a lasting war. While at first the operation was presented by a short and lightning-fast war, now there are talks about a war with no end,» claims the expert.
Lange-Ionatamišvili also noted that another narrative Kremlin has started spreading more and more actively is that the western world will face a food and energy crisis as a result of their own sanctions.
The third direction used in Russian propaganda, according to the expert, is the discrediting of Ukrainian troops,
attempting to switch the blame for Mariupol’s destruction over to Ukraine.
When asked if the topic of nuclear arms is still popular in Russia, Lange-Ionatamišvili said this blackmail tool is also present. «This is a way for them to deter the west from more actively providing aid to Ukraine,» said the expert.
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At the same time, she said the possibility of Russia using nuclear arms is low, because it’s a very strict red line for the western world. «If Russia uses nuclear arms, even tactical nuclear arms in Ukraine, not NATO member states, there will be very high pressure from the west for a stronger response. The question is does Russia gain anything from the war and its current situation,» said the StratCom expert.
As previously reported, Tuesday marked three months since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.