ABSTRACT

This book examines the ways in which Russia and Belarus use disinformation, "weaponised" historical narratives, and the politics of memory for domestic and foreign policy purposes, utilising these factors to justify aggressive foreign policy in defensive terms and, domestically, for legitimating local ruling elites, consolidating the states’ propaganda machines, and mobilising both societies around national power centres. Besides analysing Russian and Belarusian disinformation, geopolitical narratives, and policies, the book also assesses the effectiveness of these measures and discusses how the West can counteract the geopolitical narratives disseminated by Russia and Belarus that attempt to undermine Western democracies and weaken the resilience of its societies.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|13 pages

Russia – Strategic Dilemmas

Her Political and Historical Identities

chapter 2|21 pages

Russian Disinformation

Old Tactics – New Narratives

chapter 3|16 pages

Western Betrayal

The Founding Myth of Russian Foreign Policy

chapter 4|13 pages

How to Weaponise Information

Russian Patterns

chapter 8|14 pages

Russia's Approach to International Law as a Foreign Policy Tool

The Case of the Annexation of Ukrainian Crimea