RUSSOPHOBIA EXPLAINED

Author: Dr. Moghazi Al-Badrawi, Expert in Russia and Central Asia Affairs

The campaign launched to 'demonize Russia' and portraying Moscow as the US greatest enemy started by the US conservatives several years ago. The campaign started at the time, when Russian President Vladimir Putin came to the surface with his ambitions and aspirations to restore Russia's strength and prestige. Since then, the US conservatives have launched campaigns to attack Russia and its President Vladimir Putin at the media and political levels. Putin was accused of dictatorship and Stalinism and of seeking to restore the glory of the great Soviet state at the expense of small neighbors and of its quest to impose Russia's influence on Europe economically to control the sources of energy, including gas and oil, on which Europe significantly relies on.

In May 2017, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) published a report on foreign military threats facing the United States and placed Russia at the top of such threats. The report stressed that Moscow will continue to strongly pursue its foreign policy and security objectives by using its full elements of influence, including cyber operation and its strong army.

In early May, the US Congress decided to form a special committee to combat Russian influence. The Committee is tasked to 'discover and release information about Russia's hidden activity abd its security apparatus and their agents. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov described this move as escalation of the campaign of intimidation and fear of Russia. " Sadly, the campaign of Russophobia started by the Barack Obama's administration still lingers in the US"  Lavrov said. Moscow has been long accused of "all moral sins" in a situation bordering on "hysteria", Lavrov said, adding that although the US Congress continues to create inter-agency structures to investigate "Russian threat", no evidence or supporting accusations against Russia has been presented thus far. "If there are facts, we can discuss them, if there are no facts, we perceive this campaign as pure propaganda aimed at achieving not very plausible goals", Lavrov said.

The state of "Russophobia" panic has not been limited to the United States but has also touched Eastern Europe e.g. Poland, Estonia, Lativia, Lithuania  and other countries such as Sweden, where the campaign spread for fear of Russia and its ambitions to regain its influence and colonization of such countries. Through this campaign the US spread its military bases on the territories of said countries and sold arms, while NATO spreads its troops near the Russian border, a matter which provokes the anger of Moscow and directly affects the security and stability in Europe. The state of panic in these countries has led to the declaration of emergency in some countries and preparation for the Russian invasion.

1. Sweden: There has been serious discussion about the Russian invasion and intentions to control the island of Gotland.
2. Poland: In February 2017, the Polish National Security submitted a strategy including a scenario of Russian air attacks on Poland.
3. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: In January 2017, the three Baltic States discussed the report submitted by the American Research Center 'Rand" whose experts concluded that the Russian army could invade the three countries in less than six hours. The report stated that the NATO forces stationed in these countries could not alone deter the Russian army. The report provoked panic in the three Baltic States that have already started to face the "alleged Russian invasion". The Government of Lithuania opened schools to teach the art of guerilla war. The Lithuanian Minister of Defence issued a statement containing measures that should be taken in the event of the Russian invasion.  British military experts advised the Baltic countries to prepare for the guerilla war with Russia. 

These large scale campaigns aimed at 'demonizing Russia' or what is already called 'Russophobia' find an an echo among some ruling regimes in small countries that are still living in the illusions and nightmares of the cold war years in the last century and the suppression of the pro-Russian regimes of these peoples. However, public opinion differs widely in the Baltic States:

1. Latvia: A few months after the annexation of Crimea the Latvian government ordered a survey of the local Russian population on various issues of internal and foreign policy. The results showed that each fifth person from the Russian speaking minorities in different districts of Latvia would support the country joining Russia or its Eurasian Economic Union. Half of the Russian speakers is negative about NATO and USA and the majority does not support the sanctions against Russia. More than half of the Russian speakers in Latvia have positive sentiments about the USSR and a quarter would vote for its restoration. The polls amongst ethnic Latvians show a totally different picture: a large majority is positive about Latvia’s NATO membership and deployment of allied troops in Latvia.
2. Estonia: In Estonia 58 per cent of the total population see Russia as the main security threat.  A survey by the Estonian Ministry of Defence in 2016 showed that while nearly 90 per cent of the country’s Estonian-speaking residents supported the presence of allied forces in Estonia, more than half of its Russian-speaking residents were opposed to it. The presence of foreign troops is supported by 69 percent and opposed by 23 percent of respondents overall, but there is a substantial difference between Estonian and Russian speakers. Of Estonian speakers 88 per cent supported the presence of NATO forces in Estonia, with 7 per cent voting against. But 56 per cent of the Russian speakers are against NATO deployment, as to 29 percent in favour.
3. Lithuania: The ethnic situation of Lithuania considerably differs from that of Latvia and Estonia. Ethnic Lithuanians are 84.2 per cent of the population, with only 6.6 per cent Poles and 5.8 per cent Russians. This gives the Russians a minor role in the social and political life of the country. A survey of the Ministry of National Defence showed a generally positive sentiment about NATO and the rising country’s defence  funding. Roughly 81 per cent support or fully support Lithuania’s NATO membership. Only one in ten was opposed. About 82 per cent of Lithuanian citizens favour a permanent deployment of NATO troops in Lithuania, while 13 per cent resist it. 72 per cent of respondents suggest that other NATO member states should deploy more troops and equipment to Lithuania, while 19 rejects this. 46 per cent of Lithuanians see Russia as the major threat.

As well, such campaigns do not find any response in large European countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Spain. In the UK and the United States, the campaigns of fear have no echo among their population and among their media outlets, except media outlets controlled by conservative right.

It goes without saying that Russophobia and campaigns launched to demonize Russia and intimidate others are part of a strategy of creating an enemy in order to sell arms, spread bases, influence and domination. Such strategies have already proved successful during the Cold War with the Soviet Union and the conflict between the two camps fueled by the US arms industry. The United States was able to set up nearly two thousand military bases worldwide. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the US influence on the international scene has been retreated. Therefore, there is a need to create a new enemy to regain influence and achieve material, political and economic gains and what better enemy than Russia to play this role.

Moscow believes that that the US and NATO benefited politically from the process of confronting and distorting the image of Russia, beacuse it is easier for them than recognizing problems in the European security systems. This is evidenced by the decision taken by NATO during the past years, including the decision of NATO's advancement towards the East and the decision to deploy elements of the US missile defence systems in Europe. To justify such actions, NATO has exaggerated myths about threats coming from Russia to the NATO member states.  

Russian President Valdimir Putin has described these campaigns against Russia as empty talk. He has said that all wise people who work in politics know that what is being said about the Russian threat to the Baltic States and other countries is empty talk. He has satirically wondered if Russia really intends to wage war against NATO. He added that of course, Russia is a major nuclear state, but do you think that Russia intenhds to size the Baltic States by the use of nuclear weapons? What is this empty talk?