Russia has a right over the territories lost as a result of the dissolution of the USSR, according to a false narrative promoted by the Kremlin’s loudspeaker, Sputnik. The narrative was published while Russia was amassing troops and equipment at the border with Ukraine, which caused concern in the international community.
NEWS: “Russia can no longer afford ambiguities, lack of understanding, reluctance – the new threats, even if they are a continuation of the existing ones, require harsh reactions. As the President stated quite clearly at the meeting of the College of the Ministry of Defense: “Do they think that we do not notice the threats? Or do they think that we will passively witness the emergence of new threats for Russia? That's the whole problem - we have no direction now - that's the problem "...
... Not only are we a successor and heir to historical Russia in all its forms and stages (from Kievan Rus’ to the USSR), but we are this Russia. And, in this capacity, we draw in front of our historical opponent, the so-called West, a clear red line. In this way we are making it clear that we are not going to give up or withdraw - neither after Brest, nor from the temporarily lost Dnieper. After the publication of the draft agreements, a new uproar was heard about Putin's plans to rebuild the USSR - but we do not need to revive what is dead, we want to build something new. But on the same territories, which are part of the Russian world, of the Russian influence, of the Russian space. The death of the USSR couldn’t and hasn’t cancelled this fact – we are just bringing it now to the attention of the whole world.
... The general weakening and crisis that the West is facing, the failure of its global project - that is, the Atlanticists simply do not have enough strength to keep foreign territories in their sphere of influence, they cannot turn the temporary border between the West and Russia into a permanent one...
Now Putin has attached a simple condition: for the West to recognize not only Russia's right to existence and security, but also our right to a future. This will be impossible without at least restoring the geopolitical unity of historical Russia - and the West’s counter-posing is nothing but a threat to our very existence ... "
NARRATIVES: 1. Russia has a right over the territories lost following the collapse of the USSR. 2. The former republics are part of the Russian world, and the disappearance of the USSR did not deprive them of their right. 3. The West is threatening Russia's existence. 4. The West is in crisis and its global project - a failure.
BACKGROUND: Russia has amassed significant forces on the border with Ukraine, which has caused concern in the international community. Against the backdrop of this impressive troop deployment and the danger of an attack on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will force the West and NATO to abide by the "red lines" and is demanding security guarantees from the United States.
According to Vladimir Putin, who has been in power for more than 20 years, the collapse of the URSS was “the greatest geopolitical catastrophy” of the twentieth century. Despite the ties that remained after the collapse of the USSR, the Kremlin failed to maintain qualitative relations based on the principle of equality and mutual respect with the former Soviet republics, but rather imposed itself through domination, economic and energy blackmail, embargoes, threats, and by fueling secessionist forces and even armed conflicts. All this has intensified especially in the context of the rapprochement of the former Soviet republics with the European Union. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the Donbas war were provoked by the Russian Federation after the Ukrainian people protested massively against President Victor Yanukovych, who refused to sign.
The Association Agreement with the European Union. The occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and the creation of the two separatist republics in eastern Ukraine is part of the Novorossiya project, which entailed expanding to Odessa and the border with Moldova (including Transnistria). Following the events in Ukraine, the Baltic States expressed concern about a new Russian occupation. Earlier, in 2008, in Georgia, which has two separatist republics on its territory, Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Russian-Georgian war took place, when Russian troops came very close to the capital Tbilisi. And, for 30 years, the Republic of Moldova has been facing a frozen conflict in the Transnistrian region, with the separatist regime in Tiraspol being politically and financially supported by the Kremlin, which also has armed forces in the area despite Chisinau’s repeated calls to withdraw them.
The actions at the border with Ukraine and the statements made by the Russian president come against the background of the fall of the popularity of Vladimir Putin and his ruling party, with the opposition media being eliminated and the unfriendly media muted or declared ‘foreign agent”, just like civil society organizations.
PURPOSE: The narratives aim to emphasize the belonging of the former republics to the Russian space and world and Russia's right over these territories.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The centuries-old belonging of the former USSR countries to the Russian world and the common history to which the author refers are the result of Russian expansionism, as they were actually different peoples and invaded and occupied territories in which the occupying power sought to impose its language and culture. It is therefore a false affiliation, used to justify the political and domination interests of the Russian Federation. The narratives are part of the Kremlin's efforts to maintain its influence in the former states that broke away from the USSR 30 years ago. The USSR was a totalitarian state, which forcibly included territories in its composition.As for the narrative that Russia has a right over these territories, which are allegedly part of the Russian world and the Russian space, and that the disappearance of the USSR did not cancel that fact, this is mere disinformation. The declarations of independence of the former Soviet republics in 1991, their sovereignty and territorial integrity were recognized by the Russian Federation and the international community (UN).The narrative about the West threatening “the very existence” of Russia is also false. No Western or NATO country has attacked or intends to attack the Russian Federation. On the contrary, Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014 and Georgia in 2008, and their efforts to join NATO have intensified against this very background.
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