The Russian propaganda machine works tirelessly to portray Ukraine as a "bloodthirsty warmonger" uninterested in peace. This narrative, particularly evident when analyzing both the Ukraine Peace Summit and the NATO Summit, serves a dual purpose: to absolve Russia of its war crimes and to undermine international support for Ukraine by demonizing it in the eyes of Western allies.
Such Russian propaganda strategy could be viewed through the lense of the "Othering" concept, rooted in post-colonial theory and elaborated by philosophers such as Edward Said and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. In this context, Ukraine is consistently depicted as the "Other" - a barbaric, irrational, and dangerous entity, set against Russia's self-proclaimed image of a civilized and peace-loving country.
This process of "Othering" serves multiple purposes of Russian propaganda, such as:
One of the most insidious tactics employed by Russian propagandists is the "mirroring" of blame. This was starkly illustrated in the aftermath of Russia's nationwide missile attack on civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk on July 8. Rather than acknowledging these as war crimes, Russian propaganda outlets quickly assemble to accuse Ukraine of instrumentalizing the tragedy for propaganda means.
This tactic was particularly evident in the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv. Russian propaganda channels flooded social media with claims that the attack was either staged by Ukraine or caused by Ukrainian air defense systems.
Such narratives serve a dual purpose: they attempt to absolve Russia of its flagrant violations of international law while simultaneously portraying Ukraine as willing to endanger its own citizens for propaganda purposes. This portrayal feeds into the larger narrative of Ukraine as a "barbaric" entity, willing to sacrifice its own people (including sick children) for political gain. The climax of this narrative can be tracked in the article "Children's Hospital in Kyiv Is Not an Accident. It is Time to Admit it and Stop Being Afraid" published by Russian propaganda outlet Tsargrad on the day of the attack. While the official Kremlin rhetoric was focused on denying the responsibility for the attack, this text offered an alternative version of humanism that is somewhat reminiscent of dehumanization:
"A hit into a children's hospital in Kyiv sparked conversations about humanism. These conversations are conducted in favor of the enemy. Those who today feel sorry for the enemy's children do not feel sorry for their own. Humanism is to end the war, and the war can only be ended with Victory."
The author of the article, Russian propagandist Andrei Perla, formulates the manifest of Russian chauvinism:
"There are no people on the other side [in Ukraine - ed.]. Not a single person. Our missiles don't kill people. Not a single person. There are no people there. If we do not take this for granted, if we do not forbid ourselves to consider them people, to feel sorry for them, to take care of them, we will weaken ourselves. We will limit our ability to save our children. We will make it difficult for ourselves to achieve Victory."
As Bellingcat's recent independent research proves that Russia is responsible for the missile attack against the children's hospital, such propaganda statements demonstrate Russia's cynical attempt to shift the entire responsibility for Russian terrorism to Ukrainians, who "should have capitulated" in order to stay alive.
As Ukraine and its allies work to achieve peace through diplomatic channels, Russian propaganda seeks to undermine these efforts. The analysis of Russian propaganda narratives surrounding the Ukraine Peace Summit, held in Switzerland on June 15-16, reveals that the event became a target of a considerable disinformation campaign. Russian propaganda narratives surrounding the summit follow several key themes, all of which contribute to the "Othering" of Ukraine in one way or another:
Portraying the summit as pointless: Russian propaganda outlets consistently push the idea that any peace talks without Russia's participation are futile. As one Telegram channel put it, "Nobody sees the point in the Ukrainian Summit without Russia there." This narrative positions Russia as the indispensable peacemaker, while Ukraine is portrayed as incapable of meaningful diplomatic action.
Accusing Ukraine of warmongering: In a perverse twist of reality, Russian propaganda portrays Ukraine's pursuit of peace as a cover for promoting war. One channel claimed, "Zelenskyy disrupted the peace Summit and will use it to promote the war." This narrative feeds into the image of Ukraine as inherently violent and deceitful.
Discrediting Ukraine's partners: Countries supporting Ukraine have traditionally been portrayed as "uninterested in peace," suggesting that the summit participants are more interested in prolonging the war than achieving peace. This narrative is aimed at isolating Ukraine in the international arena, reinforcing its status as the "Other."
Promoting Russia as the peacemaker: In contrast to Ukraine's and the West's portrayed warmongering, Russia is consistently presented as the only state genuinely interested in peace. This narrative relies on the philosophical concept of binary opposition, where Russia's perceived virtues are amplified by Ukraine's constructed vices.
The NATO Summit (July 9-11) was also been a focal point for Russian propaganda efforts. The Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, explicitly stated that NATO is "directly participating in the Ukrainian conflict on the side of Ukraine." This narrative serves to justify Russia's aggression while portraying NATO as "the only true aggressor", further reinforcing the image of Ukraine as a puppet of Western powers rather than an independent actor.
Even the Okhmatdyt tragedy was portrayed by Russian propagandists as "beneficial for Kyiv" in order to "escalate the situation before the NATO summit" and create a reason to demand more weapon supplies. By manipulating narratives surrounding peace initiatives and summits, the Kremlin seeks to shape the global perception of Ukraine as an "aggressive" and "dangerous" state with no true desire for peace, to justify its aggression, and to undermine international support for Ukraine.
By constructing the image of Ukraine as the "Other," the Kremlin once again proves that the battle for peace in Ukraine is also fought in the realms of information and perception. While Ukraine and its allies continue to pursue diplomatic solutions, Russian propaganda narratives seek to undermine these efforts and legitimize the Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
The manipulative portrayal of Ukraine as the "Other" - barbaric, irrational, and bloodthirsty - allows Russia to position itself as the defender of civilization against chaos, the harbinger of peace against warmongering. The concepts of "Us" and "Them" are used by the Kremlin not only to stigmatize the enemy but also to shape the perverted identity of the Russian people, the identity which is built on the constant denying and destroying the otherness, being too preoccupied with"who we are" instead of "who we are not."
The article was originally published on the Kremlin's Voice platform.
