The image of Ukraine cultivated by Russian propaganda, By Olha Bilousenko

The Picture of Ukraine Cultivated by Russian Propaganda in European and African Media

For years, Ukraine has been one of many main targets of Russia’s propaganda machine. Initially, Russia aimed to destabilise the interior state of affairs in Ukraine by creating division, fragmenting the society into opposing teams, undermining Ukraine’s company and nationwide identification, and portraying the nation as inferior — a “youthful brother” to the nice Russia. This laid the groundwork for the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Even after 2014, Russia continued its efforts to divide Ukrainian society, denying the presence of its troops in Ukraine and shifting the blame for Crimea’s annexation onto Ukraine itself. As 2022 approached, Russia intensified its disinformation campaigns, making ready the data house for a full-scale invasion. On this article, we discover this course of in larger element and study the way it connects to Russia’s affect in African international locations.

How Russia Constructs a False Picture of Ukraine and Why It Does So

Russia has unfold disinformation not solely inside Ukraine but additionally about Ukraine overseas, within the data areas of dozens of nations throughout completely different continents. The purpose of Russian disinformation, on this case, as in some other, is to assist it, as a state, obtain its political targets. Due to this fact, Russia seeks to create a picture of Ukraine that’s various to actuality and useful particularly to it. The formation of such a picture is a part of a large-scale data warfare geared toward attaining a number of strategic objectives, which we’ve already talked about. At first, this consists of justifying its personal aggression and delegitimising Ukrainian statehood. The Kremlin systematically makes an attempt to painting Ukraine as a “failed,” “corrupt,” or “externally managed” state so as to undermine its worldwide help and justify the warfare within the eyes of audiences world wide.

One other necessary purpose is to fracture the worldwide coalition supporting Ukraine. In Europe, Russia promotes narratives about “Ukraine fatigue,” the “ineffectiveness of help,” and the “want for negotiations” to cut back army and monetary help. In the meantime, in African international locations, it constructs a picture of Ukraine as a part of a “Western colonial conspiracy,” trying to strengthen its personal place because the “protector” of the World South. On this means, Russia seeks not solely to isolate Ukraine but additionally to weaken the West as an entire, sowing doubts about its insurance policies and intentions.

Moreover, the choice picture of Ukraine serves for inner mobilisation inside Russia itself. The Kremlin demonises Ukraine so as to preserve inner cohesion and justify repression towards dissenters. It’s important for the Russian authorities to make sure that residents don’t query the legitimacy of the warfare and don’t search various sources of data.

Finally, the creation of a distorted picture of Ukraine is a part of a broader technique geared toward manipulating international opinion and shifting the steadiness of energy. Russia is performing not solely towards Ukraine but additionally towards the worldwide order, the place it seeks to revive its affect through the use of disinformation as a device of hybrid warfare.

So, what sort of picture does Russia create for Ukraine in European international locations?

The picture of Ukraine formed by Russian propaganda for Western audiences has advanced over time of full-scale warfare, relying on the context and occasions each in Ukraine and within the international locations the place pro-Russian messages are disseminated. Russian propaganda is adaptive and versatile: earlier than producing messages, it research the target market and its vulnerabilities to craft narratives that shall be only.

At the start of Russia’s full-scale warfare towards Ukraine, the messages shaping Ukraine’s picture additionally served to justify Russia’s actions. These included accusations of Ukraine being Nazi, merciless, Russophobic, and interesting in atrocities towards civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk. Via such messages, Russia portrayed Ukraine because the aggressor, justifying its invasion by creating the phantasm that the Russian authorities had no different alternative however to “defend” Ukrainians, together with Russian-speaking ones, from an “illegitimate” Ukrainian authorities.

At the moment, Russia additionally promoted the picture of Ukraine as a puppet state supposedly managed from overseas, notably by america. This narrative additional justified Russia’s actions, implying that it was defending Ukrainians from Western colonisation.

Nonetheless, since Russian propaganda adapts its messages to the context, now, within the fourth yr of the full-scale warfare, the important thing set of narratives has shifted to the next:

Ukraine is a burdensome drain. It’s portrayed as a rustic that continually requires monetary and army help, thereby exhausting European economies. The main target is on “Ukraine fatigue” and the narrative that supporting Kyiv allegedly harms odd European Union residents.
Ukraine is a corrupt state. This message means that Ukraine is “doomed” to corruption and doesn’t deserve help as a result of it would “inevitably be stolen.” This discredits Kyiv within the eyes of European politicians and society.
Ukraine is a dictatorship that suppresses dissent. Russian propaganda highlights the banning of pro-Russian events and media, trying to current Ukraine as a state the place there isn’t any freedom of speech and the opposition is persecuted.
Ukraine can’t win. Russia promotes the concept army help for Ukraine is futile as a result of it has no probability of victory. This goals to demotivate companions from persevering with to provide weapons and monetary help.
Ukraine is an impediment to world peace. Ukraine is depicted because the facet unwilling to have interaction in peace talks, whereas Europe allegedly suffers from the warfare as a result of actions of the Ukrainian authorities.

All these messages are geared toward undermining help for Ukraine amongst European politicians and society, creating stress between Kyiv and its companions, and pressuring the West to cut back help. The mechanism works as follows: Russia turns Western societies towards Ukraine, and in flip, these societies affect their governments, demanding a change in coverage towards Ukraine.

Ukraine via the Eyes of Russian Propaganda in African Nations

In African international locations, Russian propaganda creates a very completely different picture of Ukraine, tailor-made to the native context and notion. By adapting disinformation to native contexts, Russia makes it extra focused and, consequently, extra influential. Whereas within the EU international locations, Russia portrays Ukraine as Nazi, beggar, and corrupt, in African international locations, the picture of Ukraine has shifted: in these data areas, Ukraine is portrayed as the primary “colonialist,” the provocateur of poverty, and the destroyer of conventional values. Specifically, a number of key messages about Ukraine unfold by Russia in African international locations will be highlighted:

Ukraine is a part of the “Western colonial conspiracy.” On this context, Ukraine is depicted as a vassal of the West, performing within the pursuits of the USA and the EU, moderately than as an unbiased state. Russia, in distinction, positions itself because the “protector of the World South” and a fighter towards colonialism.
Ukraine is accountable for the meals disaster. Propaganda claims that Ukraine and its allies use grain as a geopolitical weapon, intentionally blocking provides to poor international locations and inflicting rising meals costs. In the meantime, Russia presents itself because the “savior” offering Africa with “Russian wheat.”
Ukraine is the enemy of conventional values. On this case, Russia imposes the narrative that Ukraine shares “Western immorality” and introduces overseas social norms to Africa, reminiscent of extreme feminism or LGBT ideology.
The provocateur of warfare. Ukraine is portrayed because the nation that provoked the warfare, “didn’t need peace,” and “didn’t adjust to the Minsk agreements.” On this means, Russia seeks to legitimize its aggression.
Ukraine is a rustic that may quickly stop to exist. Russian propaganda promotes the concept Ukraine is a man-made state formation that may disintegrate as a result of warfare, inner conflicts, and its incapability to exist independently.

These messages intention to strengthen pro-Russian sentiments in Africa, undermine belief in Ukraine and its companions, and justify Russian aggression as a struggle for “historic justice.”

A Few Examples

In a examine by the Ukrainian organisation “Detector Media,” whose researchers analysed knowledge on Ukraine within the media of the World South, it’s famous that Nigerian media unfold messages suggesting that Western help for Ukraine is larger than help for Nigeria, which faces quite a few safety challenges (the Boko Haram terrorist group within the northeast, militants within the Niger Delta, farmer clashes, Igbo separatism). Such messages are wanted by Russia to show Nigerian society and neighboring international locations towards Ukraine. It’s urged that it’s due to Ukraine that international locations within the World South don’t obtain help, as if African peoples are struggling due to Ukraine.

In keeping with the examine, the most typical Russian narrative within the media of the World South is the alleged historic continuity and all-encompassing corruption in Ukraine. Nigerian media emphasised the “lengthy historical past of continual corruption,” whereas Brazilian media reminded that Ukraine was one of many richest areas of the USSR however turned the “poorest and most corrupt nation.” Kazakhstani media wrote that “earlier than offering help to Ukraine, one ought to keep in mind how corrupt it’s.”

Russian propaganda often accuses Ukraine and its companions of mendacity. Open accusations of lies by Western media have been additionally unfold in Nigeria. For instance, a message was unfold claiming that Fb had blocked the biggest Russian-language media account of the propaganda outlet Russia At present, supposedly with out rationalization.

There have been additionally widespread messages about alleged repression towards the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP). Nigerian media wrote about representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, calling them “unordained schismatics,” and their ministry “within the Holy Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra can be an ideal disgrace for all of Ukraine.” Normally, the Russian Church is widespread in African international locations, and the Russian military does all the pieces to strengthen its affect. In keeping with analysis by the publication “Texty,” the primary church establishment via which Russian narratives are promoted on the African continent is the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, created in December 2021.

After the Alexandrian Patriarchate recognised the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2019, the Russian Orthodox Church determined to take away its parishes in Africa from the jurisdiction of the Alexandrian Patriarchate and make them autonomous. This was referred to as the “Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.” Its facilities function in 23 international locations on the continent, which is barely lower than half. The creation of a separate construction allowed the Russian Orthodox Church to determine systematic propaganda work. “African clergymen are taken to Russia for coaching, the place they attend army boards in Moscow. After such ideological processing, below the guise of spiritual coaching, clergymen from Africa start to reward the Russian ‘Particular Army Operation’ and customarily repeat Russian fakes about Ukraine,” writes “Texty.”

Many disinformation messages within the media of African international locations have been geared toward discrediting the Ukrainian authorities, notably President Volodymyr Zelensky and his spouse Olena Zelenska. In keeping with analysis by the Molfar company and the Centre for Countering Disinformation, the next messages have been discovered within the data house of African international locations, together with Nigeria:

“A luxurious villa belonging to the household of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was discovered on the shores of Egypt.”
“Olena Zelenska spent $1 million procuring in New York.”
“Olena Zelenska’s basis is concerned in youngster trafficking.”
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky purchased yachts value $75 million.”
“Zelensky purchased the villa of Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels.”

“Virtually all supplies in African media have been signed below fictitious names and have been later deleted from the web sites. Quite a few fakes have been actively republished by Russian propaganda media. For instance, the ‘heroine’ of the faux about Zelenska’s procuring – a retailer worker who was fired after the supposed go to of Ukraine’s First Woman – turned out to be a local of Cameroon, who has lived in Russia since 2017 and is finding out to turn into a health care provider in St. Petersburg,” the examine states.

Conclusion

Russian disinformation messages in Africa and Europe can have critical penalties for worldwide help for Ukraine and the worldwide notion of the warfare. In Europe, they undermine unity relating to sanctions and army help, lower belief within the Ukrainian authorities, and gasoline public warfare fatigue. In Africa, these narratives contribute to distancing from Ukraine and create a misunderstanding of the Russo-Ukrainian warfare as a part of the wrestle towards “Western imperialism.”

To counter this, it’s important to strengthen strategic communications tailor-made to completely different audiences. In Africa, particularly, there needs to be a extra lively effort to share Ukraine’s historical past, cooperation with World South international locations, and the true causes behind the warfare, whereas additionally debunking Russian myths in regards to the “struggle towards colonialism.” Additionally it is necessary to grasp that right now one of many targets of Russian disinformation is Ukraine. And it’s troublesome to foretell who would be the subsequent goal.

Olha Bilousenko is a Ukrainian journalist, disinformation knowledgeable, and researcher.