DISINFO: The Russian threat is 'an invention' of those who want to benefit from it
SUMMARY
The Russian threat is ‘an invention’ of those who want to benefit from their “role of the advance department in the fight against Russia”.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Western belligerence towards Russia claiming that the “Russian threat” is a false idea. While aware of pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns, the West is trying to keep open channels of communications with Russia, but not to invent the 'Russian threat' in order to 'fight against Russia'. After the end of the Cold War until the 2014 Ukraine crisis, most US and Western policymakers no longer viewed Russia as an adversary, instead, taking the opinion that it could potentially become, or already was, a credible and responsible partner for Western states. For instance, NATO created cooperation bodies – the Permanent Joint Council and the NATO-Russia Council – to embody its relationship with Russia. It also invited Russia to cooperate on missile defence. The Warsaw Summit Communique 2016 describes NATO's official policy towards Russia: "The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia. But we cannot, and will not, compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest." However, since the Ukraine crisis, NATO has been genuinely concerned about the security challenges posed by Russia to Transatlantic security. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine in early 2014 was widely viewed both in North America and in Europe as violating the basic rules of the post-Cold War European order, especially the rule that borders are inviolable and states should not use force to alter them or take territory from other states. As a result of Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine, many Western states - including key EU members such as Germany and France - critically reassessed their “strategic partnership” policies towards Russia and began to view Russia as a serious challenge to the European security order. Read more similar cases alleging that NATO exploits non-existent “Russian threat” to increase its presence close to Russian borders and that the phenomenon of the “Russian threat”, “Russian trace”, and “Kremlin hands” is becoming weird and unhealthy.