According to Kościuszko Chair research assistant Paweł Styrna, it is essential to understand the prism through which the rulers of post-Soviet Russia view the world. As he argues in his recently-published SFPPR News & Analysis article:
A paranoid “besieged fortress” mentality has characterized the foreign policy thinking of the Kremlin for centuries: from the era of the Muscovite Tsars to the days of the mass-murdering Bolshevik Commissars and their current post-KGB successors. Thus, when reading Nikolai Patrushev’s claims about America’s supposedly sinister, aggressive intentions vis-à-vis Russia, one may be very tempted to simply chuckle, roll one’s eyes, and dismiss the far-fetched Chekist allegations. Déjà vu!
We have heard all of this before, both from Moscow and her Western apologists and agents. These charges should not go unanswered, however, because they are part of Moscow’s worldwide propaganda campaign against America, Ukraine, and the Baltic states.
To continue reading, please visit the website of the Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research (SFPPR).