Kremlin Intensifies Criticism of U.S., West

"MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov launched a fresh barrage of criticism toward the U.S. and Europe, using language likely aimed at bolstering domestic support for the military operation in Ukraine, which Moscow increasingly seeks to portray as a conflict with the West.

Mr. Lavrov accused the U.S. of fueling the military operation with Russia's smaller neighbor, saying it was subjugating and corralling European countries in an effort to eradicate Russia.

"Just as Hitler wanted a Final Solution to the Jewish question, now, if you read Western politicians . . . they clearly say Russia must suffer a strategic defeat," Mr. Lavrov said at a news briefing Wednesday, referring to the murder of some six millions Jews and many others during the Holocaust.

Mr. Putin said representatives of many European countries participated and committed crimes in the World War II blockade of Leningrad, today St. Petersburg. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, up to 1.5 million died during the nearly 900-day Nazi-led siege.

"We have never before said anything, due to a certain tolerance and in order not to spoil relations . . . with many countries," Mr. Putin said during a visit to St. Petersburg to mark the 80th anniversary of breaking of the siege by the Soviet Union's Red Army. The block was fully lifted just more than a year later, in January 1944.

The comments of Messrs. Lavrov and Putin follow a pattern of rhetoric in recent months that has seen Moscow recast the military operation in Ukraine as a broader clash between Russia and the West, one that could explode into a global confrontation. The Kremlin and state-controlled media have warned that the U.S. is leading a campaign to try to contain or even destroy Russia. On Wednesday, Mr. Lavrov noted the amount of military assistance provided to Kyiv as proof of what he said was the true Western agenda.

Russian state televisionhas been awash with images showing destruction of areas of Russian-controlled Ukraine overlaid with commentary detailing the types of weaponry responsible, such as advanced U.S.-supplied Himars rocket systems.

Pro-Kremlin pundits regularly condemn Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government as being puppets of the West, and insist that a coalition of European countries is being forced by the U.S. to gang up on Russia.

Analysts who follow Russia's domestic policies said Moscow's leadership is trying to exploit the collective psyche of the Russian population by evoking memories of World War II, a historical touchstone for millions of Russians, to justify the Kremlin's military operation in Ukraine.

The explanation has been effective, according to recent polls. A survey published in December by the Levada Center in Moscow, which bills itself as independent, showed that in November, 73% of 1,601 respondents in Russia's 50 regions held a negative view of the U.S., up from 55% in February 2022. Those saying they harbored a negative attitude toward the European Union rose to 68% from 48%.

Levada also found support for the actions of Russia's military forces in Ukraine was at 74% in November, though it had dropped by a few percentage points.

Mr. Lavrov reiterated on Wednesday that Russia would continue its military campaign until all of its goals are met. He said while Moscow is prepared to consider any serious proposals from the West, it hadn't so far seen any. He also ruled out any discussion with the government in Kyiv after Ukraine required that all Russian forces would first have to withdraw for talks to go ahead, among other demands.

"There can be no talk of negotiations with Zelensky," Mr. Lavrov added." [1]

1. World News: Kremlin Intensifies Criticism of U.S., West
Simmons, Ann M.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 19 Jan 2023: A.6.