Dismissal of European leaders as US “puppets” and enemies of their own people

What it claims

European governments are portrayed as dependent elites acting in Washington's interests and sacrificing citizen welfare for “militarisation”. The propaganda contrasts current politicians with “wise” leaders of the past to undermine trust in EU democratic institutions.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• European governments are spending billions on weapons for the “Nazi regime” in Kyiv, ignoring social problems and causing irreparable harm to their own citizens.

  Russian Embassy in Berlin (Telegram), 10 Jul 2026

  t.me/RusBotschaft/17834

• The current generation of politicians in Europe is incapable of dialogue, so we must wait for new leaders who will be “wiser” and open to Russia.

  Russian Embassy in Berlin (Telegram), 9 Jul 2026

  t.me/RusBotschaft/17825

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

To sow distrust in the current German and EU authorities, stimulate protest sentiment through economic hardship, and promote the idea of replacing elites with those more favourable to the Kremlin.

Techniques used

• Appeal to Fear / PrejudiceClaims that “militarisation” and support for Ukraine are leading Europe toward catastrophe and the destruction of prosperity.
• Name Calling or LabelingUse of labels such as “vassals”, “dependent elites”, and “instruments” to describe European leaders.

The real grievance it exploits

The narrative exploits real German concerns over rising energy prices, inflation, and cuts in social spending, as well as the fear of war escalation.

How to counter

• Reframe: Russian propaganda tries to pass off Europe's self-defence efforts as “militarisation”, concealing the fact that it was Russian aggression that forced democratic countries to revise their security policies.

Sources (all time)

• Russian Embassy in Berlin (X)Tier 264,257 followers
  5 posts · 9–16 Jul 2026

  • 16 Jul · x.com/RusBotschaft/status/2077708186283290933
  • 15 Jul · x.com/RusBotschaft/status/2077338511842185290
  • 15 Jul · x.com/RusBotschaft/status/2077310364073574737
  • 10 Jul · x.com/RusBotschaft/status/2075535492385300974
  • 9 Jul · x.com/RusBotschaft/status/2075154495755956317
• Neues aus Russland (Alina Lipp)Tier 1163,484 subscribers
  3 posts · 18 Aug 2026

  • 18 Aug · t.me/neuesausrussland/31429
  • 18 Aug · t.me/neuesausrussland/31428
  • 18 Aug · t.me/neuesausrussland/31423
• Russian Embassy in Berlin (Telegram)Tier 220,660 subscribers
  5 posts · 9–17 Jul 2026

  • 17 Jul · t.me/RusBotschaft/17904
  • 16 Jul · t.me/RusBotschaft/17895
  • 15 Jul · t.me/RusBotschaft/17881
  • 10 Jul · t.me/RusBotschaft/17834
  • 9 Jul · t.me/RusBotschaft/17825