2024-04-07 16:08:14
Shoigu tried to threaten France in order to get Paris to limit aid to Ukraine, think tank experts say. The Minister of Defense also shows interest in the talks.
It is part of a broader Russian intelligence operation to persuade the West to force Ukraine to engage in unequal negotiations on Russia’s terms.
The Kremlin has used this general intelligence operation to target “NATO escalation” specifically against France, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls for increased Western security assistance to Ukraine.
Peskov, on the other hand, postulated that the relations between Russia and NATO have already “descended to the level of direct confrontation” and that NATO “is already drawn into the conflict over Ukraine”.
The statements of the Kremlin press secretary reinforce the narrative of NATO and the West’s “existential threat” to Russia, according to ISW.
This is likely part of Russia’s reflexive control campaign, which uses threatening statements to influence and delay important decisions on Western aid to Ukraine, think tank experts say.
This Kremlin narrative appears to be an attempt to present NATO’s defensive actions in response to blatant Russian aggression as provocative.
Lavrov has directed information operations by simulating interest in negotiations.
The foreign minister used the meeting with ambassadors of non-Western countries to condemn Ukraine’s “peace formula”, while postulating that Russia is ready for negotiations based on conditions favorable to the Kremlin, according to ISW.
2024-04-07 16:08:14