Putin's Crusade

In early May, Russian state propaganda is tuned to two frequencies: consolidating support for Putin ahead of his re-coronation today and undermining prospects for peace and aid for Ukraine, especially in Western societies. In both directions, the sound is amplified all the way. The streets of Moscow are being decorated with (even more) photos of Putin and heroic warriors, and with billboards calling to remember the battles of the 1940s. Then May 7 will give way to May 9 – the date of the traditional celebration of Victory Day, which has always been a cornerstone of the modern Russian réson d'etre.

Not to mention the victims

However, today something is different. Amid more images of Jesus Christ filling Russian streets, news has emerged that the Immortal Regiment march will not take place. This march originated as a mass initiative in honor of the fallen veterans, and subsequently the Kremlin, so to speak, appropriated it. The marches of the “Immortal Regiment” gathered millions of ordinary Russians. By the end of 2010, they were the largest public demonstrations in recent Russian history and created a festive mood.

Now, given the large, albeit secret, number of victims of the undeclared war against Ukraine – the so-called “special military operation“ – it's not hard to imagine the PR damage to the Kremlin if citizens replace photos of proud World War II veterans with photos of a father, son or brother recently killed on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Last year, the march was canceled in mid-April and replaced with calls for people to participate in virtual online parades. This year, the official reason for its cancellation was unspecified “security reasons”. Instead of a mass march, the little-known member of the Duma, Elena Tsunaeva, discreetly encouraged citizens to choose their own way to honor veterans, starting on May 1 and continuing every day, in any place and in any form – to their taste. Which, of course, is far from the desired effect of pompous pictures from a mass movement.

Crusade

This year the emphasis is on making a sacrifice, including sacrificing one's life, and on glorifying one's native Russia. Walk the streets of Russia and you will get the impression that Putin is receiving his blessing from Christ. Jesus sacrificed himself for a noble cause. The message that Russia's leading state TV programs are promoting is that your life has a higher purpose than just living it. We predict that official Russian speeches in the coming days will highlight the near-sacred nature of Russia's campaign against the infidels and contain heavy doses of accusations against imaginary “Nazis” or the “Kiev junta/neo-Nazi regime”. In reality, these slanders are simply aimed at those who hold opposing political views.

Scorching hopes for peace

Russian state and Kremlin-controlled media have led a campaign against the peace conference to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland. The tone hardened compared to previous weeks. Now the media is openly ridiculing and denigrating the conference. The Russian ambassador to Switzerland, for whom it would otherwise be logical to participate in the conference, stated that [it] “will turn into a noisy but hollow PR campaign”.

Undermining the European elections

The upcoming European Parliament elections on June 6-9 often rarely receive special coverage in the Kremlin-controlled media. However, commentators have taken pains to criticize the parliament for not reflecting the will of the people or for unduly interfering in Russia's internal affairs. They also denounce EU decisions and policies, especially EU sanctions against Russia, as economically irresponsible.

Belarus is preparing for an opposition invasion

We cannot fail to note the recently adopted military doctrine of the Belarusian forces. In a speech to the National Assembly of Belarus on April 25, Lukashenko said that representatives of the Belarusian opposition, who have left the country, are planning to almost seize the area of the city of Kobrin in the western part of Belarus and hand it over to NATO troops. Russian state-run and pro-Kremlin media have been frantically blowing up the issue and repeating warnings that from now on Minsk considers it possible to use preventive measures to deter aggression. Sound crazy? Knowing the way Lukashenko sees the world, turning this fantasy into reality will require several battalions to be redeployed westward.

EUvsDisinfo/ translation: Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria