Officials in Russia are falsely whining that the war is critical to the future existence of their country. In fact, they want to create the conditions to accuse the West and Ukraine of being an existential threat to Russia.
According to analysts, Putin launched such rhetoric in response to the failures of the Russian invaders on the battlefield. Also, the enemies want to prevent the supply of aid to Ukraine.
Why Putin puts forward false theses
Russian officials are promoting an information operation that mistakenly portrays Russia's war in Ukraine as critical to Russia's continued existence.
Analysts recall the words of Vladimir Putin in an interview on February 26, where he stated that he allegedly did not know whether “an ethnic group like the Russian people can survive in the form in which it exists today” if the West manages to “destroy Russia and establish control over her fragments.
The Russian dictator again hurled accusations against the West and justified the suspension of participation in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms.
In addition, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev began to speak with similar theses, accusing the West of inciting the current situation in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also said that allegedly “the calm power of our great country and the authority of its partners is a guarantee of preserving the future of our entire world.”
The statements by Putin and Medvedev are part of an information operation that presents the war in Ukraine as existentially important for the continued survival of post-Soviet Russia, in what is likely an attempt to present the war as having higher stakes for Russia and the West than it really is, analysts say.
The American Institute for the Study of War also stated:
- Putin hopes to create an information environment to accuse Ukraine and the West of threatening Russia's existence in response to Russian military failures and Western support for Ukrainian victories;
- the Russian dictator's statements are meant to fuel support for the war in Russia and stir up fears in the West about the instability that would follow after Russia's collapse, in order to contain Western support for Ukraine and persuade the West to force Kiev to accept Russian demands.
“svo” turned for Russia into a long and painful war
Analysts noted that before and during the first months of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin relied on a small amount of military power and a lightning-fast takeover of our state. However, later he needed partial mobilization.
The inability of the Russian forces to continue the offensive against both Severodonetsk-Lysichansk and Slovyansk reflected severe limitations on Russian combat power. – wrote to ISW.
Moreover, analysts have noticed that the Russian veteran communities seem to have come to the same conclusion. That is why they called on Putin and the Russian Defense Ministry to immediately announce a partial mobilization. Read more about the analysis of ISW analysts – read the link.
