So what are the Russians trying to achieve with all this alleged ‘fake news’, ‘election hacking’, ‘psychological warfare’ and ‘social influence’? 3P Training has followed both the statements and the systemic behaviours of the Russian government on foreign policy for ten years. The stated and evident goals of the Russian government are:
- Federalisation of Ukraine or recognition of the breakaway republics
- Insistence that Ukraine honour the Minsk accords
- Removal of all sanctions against Russia
- Recognition that Crimea chose to become part of Russia and is historically part of Russia
- Co-operation in defeating ISIS and its affiliates, and in combating terrorism and extremism
- Intelligence sharing on terrorism
- Adherence to world trade organisation rules
- Stabilising the Middle East in order to stabilise the EU
- A free trade agreement with the EU and scientific co-operation
- A removal of the Aegis offensive missile system from Eastern Europe
- An end to pointless provocations and military posturing
- A Russian sphere of influence in their ‘near abroad’
- Removal of NATO from countries bordering Russia
- A multipolar world order where national sovereignty and traditional cultures are respected
- Nuclear disarmament
- Global leadership on all the above issues by the United States in co-operation with Russia
These policies are advocated by the Kremlin through Russia Today and other Russian news outlets and through social media. Which of these policies is harmful to ‘Western interests’ and ‘liberal democracy’? Is the Russian government promoting other policies that are harmful to ‘Western interests’ and ‘liberal democracy’? If so, please provide an example by email to policytraining(at)yahoo.com
