Kremlin rejoices as US vacillates on life-saving aid to Ukraine

Russian propagandists believe that some American politicians are seeking to weaken Ukraine's hand in its war for national survival.

House Speaker Mike Johnson visited former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on April 12, allegedly to introduce a new Republican “integrity” bill. electoral”.

But pundits and pundits on Russian state television followed Johnson's pilgrimage with very different expectations. Appearing that evening during the broadcast of state television's flagship program60 minutesDmitry Abzalov, director of the Center for Strategic Communication, described it as the most important day.

He said Johnson's trip would decide the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine. An additional aid package of $95 billion, mainly for kyiv, is planned. blocked in the House of Representatives because Johnson has so far refused to allow a vote, apparently at Trump's request. Its adoption would constitute a serious setback for Russia.

Russia's top propagandists have claimed that Russia has a friend in Johnson since his election as president in October. At the time, 60 minuteshost Olga Skabeeva was delighted.

She declared: Johnson is not just a far-right Trump supporter, [he] He has consistently voted against aid to Ukraine and made corresponding statements considered anti-Ukrainian. . . As for Ukraine, just look at Johnson's notes regarding his support for Ukraine. His grade is very bad! This means that all of this suits us well.

Skabeeva then made a prediction about what Johnson would do: with a Trump fanatic as president, the bill. . . what was proposed by Biden will certainly not be adopted. Johnson simply won't put it to a vote!

Apparently happy with Johnson, Skabeeva described it like our Johnson not to be confused with Boris Johnson, the former British Prime Minister. This description is reminiscent of the way Trump is regularly described on state television as our Trump or our Trompushka.

The problem for Kremlin spokespeople is that their reading of US domestic politics is driven by hope. Even if Skabeeva was correct to identify Johnson's largely anti-Ukrainian voting record, his current thinking is elusive. Some on the far right accuse him to change his mind about Ukraine, and it was saying there will be a vote on the aid plan.

Despite this, many in the U.S. pro-Ukraine camp are deeply skeptical of his intentions and furious that his actions so far have benefited the Kremlin. The military situation is already deteriorating. Ukraine will be disarmed 10-1 in the coming weeks without an influx of weapons, according to the highest-ranking American general in Europe.

The Russian military likely believes that delays in, or cessation of, U.S. aid mean that Ukrainian forces will be unable to defend themselves against current and future Russian offensive operations, according to the Institute for the Study of War April 13.

Although propagandists are poor predictors of international events, they can provide insight into their regime's thinking. Of course, they spread untruths and distortions, but they also have the right to honestly explain what is in the Kremlin's heart. And they know what they're talking about, senior government officials meet regularly state-funded journalists and news lines to cover current events.

This use of spokespersons to signal the regime's true feelings was visible when Putin said in a Interview of February 14 he hoped Joe Biden would be re-elected. This attempt to feign a preference for the current president drew smirks from his state media handlers. Several experts explained on state television that it was simply a stunt intended to hurt Biden.

US aid to Ukraine is in doubt and enthusiastic Russian propagandists cherish the prospect of Trump returning to power. Some evenpredictthat the United States will be ruled by a Trump dynasty for decades.

Russia's preference for Trump-controlled Republicans has been made clear, and efforts to infect Republicans have been made clear. leaders and voters with Russian propaganda wereopenly discussed on state television in 2021 before Putin's all-out invasion of Ukraine.

Russian state media remain very good indicators of the Kremlin's real intentions. Although many in the West and Ukraine doubted intelligence warnings of an all-out invasion in February 2022, Moscow's spokespeople gleefully predicted it. The tactics of destroy Ukraine's infrastructure “plunging Ukraine into darkness” and chasing 20 million Ukrainian refugees to Europe was also openly discussed and continues to unfold. Likewise, the massacre of Ukrainians has been openly encouraged and is ongoing.

Russia's tactics are reminiscent of those of Zodiac KillerIn his letters to the police, he expresses a desire to boast of his own crimes while concealing his true nature and identity.

A clearly imperialist Moscow presents itself as a fighter against Western imperialism, while Putin's oppressive regime tells gullible Westerners that they are the ones being oppressed at home and that opposing US aid to Ukraine is an affirmation of their freedom.

Kremlin propagandists regularly explain that the best way to destroy the West is from within, by undermining its principles and compromising its vital alliances. And, they explain, there is even more to come. As Putin's spokespersons regularly say: Ukraine is only the beginning.

Julia Davis is a columnist at the Daily Beast and creator of the Russian Media Monitor. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, and Women In Film.

Edge of Europe is CEPA's online journal covering critical foreign policy topics in Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or of the Center for European Policy Analysis.