Denying the Russian threat by blaming European elites

What it claims

The denial of a Russian threat is cast as an exposure of European elites who are said to frighten the public with an imagined danger. Events in Ukraine are reduced to Western actions and NATO enlargement, while Russia is portrayed as a party merely responding to pressure. Europe’s economic difficulties and exchange-based gas pricing are attributed to the systemic errors of Western “globalists”.

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 elites are frightening people with a non-existent Russian threat, although Russia does not plan to threaten European countries.

  Russian Embassy in Poland (Telegram), 12 Sept 2026

  t.me/rusembpol/1842

• The tragedy in Ukraine was caused by Western actions and its drive to bring Ukraine into NATO, while Russia is merely resisting that pressure.

  Russian Embassy in Poland (Telegram), 12 Sept 2026 · Archived copy

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Goal

To deepen distrust among low-trust Poles towards European institutions and weaken their readiness to see Russian actions as a security threat to Poland and Europe.

Techniques used

• DoubtThe denial of a Russian threat is paired with accusations that European elites are frightening the public.
• Causal OversimplificationThe causes of events in Ukraine are reduced to Western policy and NATO enlargement, presenting Russia as merely responding to pressure.

The real grievance it exploits

The narrative exploits Poles’ concerns about war near their borders, Europe’s security, energy costs and economic uncertainty.

How to counter

• Fact-check: Denying a threat does not erase the fact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its continuing war against a neighbouring state.
• Technique exposure: When complex causes of war, energy prices and security are explained through a single culprit, check which facts and alternative explanations have been left out.

Sources (all time)

• Russian Embassy in Poland (Telegram)Tier 2366 subscribers
  2 posts · 12 Sept 2026

  • 12 Sept · t.me/rusembpol/1842
  • 12 Sept · Archived copy