Prof Dr Heinemann-Grüder on Russia's war propaganda and the construction of legitimised violence in Ukraine Prof. Dr Heinemann-Grüder in an article for the Centre for Democratic Integrity

Russia's military and its propagandists are trying to sell the war as an existential imperative and as a defence against an alleged threat from the West and Ukraine. According to Heinemann-Grüder, the central narrative portrays Russia as a victim that must protect itself from existential annihilation by Ukraine and NATO. The war is portrayed as the ‘liberation’ of Ukraine from an alleged Nazi government, drawing historical comparisons to the Second World War and the threat posed by the West. Dr Heinemann-Grüder emphasises that Russian propaganda is intended to dehumanise Ukraine and legitimise its own aggression as a defensive measure. Any dissenting opinions are regarded as treason and punished with harsh penalties. Finally, the Russian state uses various media and cultural production to create a homogenous, ideological memory that presents the war as morally justified. Despite numerous contradictions in the narrative, a coherent logic is created in order to present the war as inevitable and necessary.