It may sound strange, but the message crafted in the context of the war started by Russia says nothing new. We are not talking here about Russia or the Russian-language information space, which for many might be an unpleasant surprise, wrapped in the scent of a stale, musty cellar. Wordplay and skewed understanding—deliberately and consciously conflating national with Nazism, dislike with hatred, thought with racism, forestry work with forest destruction, the Amazon and Indonesian forests with Latvian pine and spruce stands—have been visible in the Latvian social and even public media space for quite some time. The list could go on, but – is it clear to everyone ready to actively stir up trouble and defend something whether their supposedly fresh and self-sufficient initiative is not accidentally rooted in the ruminations and carefully chosen plans of a neighbouring country (or other foreign entities)? The style undoubtedly matches.

In official and everyday Russian politics and society, “Nazism” or “Nazi” is equivalent to the word “national”. Any national movement that objects, resists, or does not wish to be assimilated into the Russian environment or space is branded as “Nazi”.

If you are Ukrainian and speak Ukrainian, or support the Ukrainian language and culture, that is Nazism or Banderism. The same applies to other nations, for example, Crimean Tatars, Belarusians (or Mari people, or...).

Anything based on Ukrainian identity that differs from what is Russian is branded as Nazi; everything similar to what is Russian is called “Russian”. In the eyes of many living in Russia, Ukrainians can be either Russians or Nazis. There is no other option.

Therefore, Russian propaganda asserts that Ukrainians have no right to exist or to be. Since, in the minds of many Russian citizens, Ukrainians are the same as Russians, Ukrainians have no cultural right to be different or to exist, or these same Ukrainians are Nazis, who most certainly have no moral right to exist (because Nazis do not).

Before the Second World War, Soviet Russian propaganda described Ukrainians either as traitors (descendants of Mazepa or Petliura) or as hardened bandits. When invoking Mazepa or Petliura was no longer enough, another word was found – Bandera – which was used quite extensively, and frequently in cases where Ukrainians simply wished to be Ukrainian, nothing more.

By fighting against a fabricated Nazism in the actions of other nations, official Russia and a portion of its society are actually demonstrating extreme right-wing views and policies, rejecting the right to existence of an entire nation, such as the Ukrainians.

 

For Russian propaganda, “Nazi” equals national; every national movement opposing Russian assimilation is called “Nazi”. Being Ukrainian, speaking the Ukrainian language, or supporting it is already a sign of "Nazism” or “Banderism”. It is the same with other nations, for example, Crimean Tatars or even Belarusians. Everything in Ukrainian identity that is different from Russian is called "Nazi”; all that is similar is called Russian. In the eyes of Russians, Ukrainians can only be either a) Russians, or b) Nazi. This means that, for Russian propaganda, Ukrainians do not have a right to exist. Either they are Russians, thus having no cultural right to exist, or they are Nazi, thus having no moral right to exist. Before WWII, Russian propaganda also portrayed Ukrainians as either a) traitors (Mazepa/Petliura followers) or b) cruel bandits. After Mazepa/Petliura, they started using the image of Bandera, calling “Banderovtsy” every Ukrainian willing to remain Ukrainian. By fighting against “Nazism”, Russians are actually displaying the worst forms of far-right Russian nationalism, denying the right to existence to whole nations like the Ukrainians.
A photo from the original material has been used for illustration