MOSCOW (World Report Studio News) - Nearly two years ago, on February 24th, 2022 , Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine, bombing and pillage the country in Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Since the out break of the war, U.S. officials estimated that in August nearly 500,000 Russian and Ukrainians troops have been killed or wounded as Russia attempts to grab more territory. Russian causalities are quickly approaching 300,000, dwarfing Ukrainian figures which are estimated to be be 180,000, with 70,000 killed and approximately 110,000 wounded. To add on to this misery, Ukrainian officials have stated in November that at least 10,000 civilians, which include more than 560 children, have been killed while almost 18,500 have been wounded.

 

Despite the widespread documentation of this destructive war that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, a staggering amount of citizens in the west have expressed their sympathy and even support for the Russian despot.

 

While scrolling through the muck of the social media platform X or on fringe media networks, you may come across posts defending Putin's actions in Eastern Europe as a form of self-defense against the ‘evil’ west or as a crusade of a ‘Christian Kingdom’ against a supposedly fascist Ukraine. Yet just three decades ago, many of those same supporters would identify Russia as the global rival of the United States.

 

The puzzling support for Putin can be largely attributed to western media and politicians gobbling up any propaganda Russia puts out.

 

On November 22, during the virtual G20 Summit, Putin continued to spewed lies and false narratives that are commonly echoed here in the United States. 

 

One of the most common rhetoric's that Putin has repeatedly pushed is that he is a peacemaker and his invasion of Ukraine was provoked by Ukraine itself.

 

“It is not Russia, but Ukraine that has publicly announced that it is withdrawing from the negotiation process. Moreover, the country’s leader signed an executive order prohibiting such negotiations with Russia."

 

The assumption that the war would be ended on Ukraine initiative is grossly misleading. It is not Ukraine that is occupying Russia's land. Instead, Putin has repeatedly poured troops into Ukraine with a total disregard for lives on both sides of the conflict. 

 

Despite this war of aggression that Putin has waged against Ukraine, a considerable amount of politicians, media representatives, and celebrities have bought into the countless lies Putin has pushing since the start of his invasion. One of the most notable figures accepting Putin's narrative is the former president of the United States Donald Trump, who negligently labeled Putin as a “Peacekeeper” in the region during an interview. 

 

“So Putin is now saying it’s independent, a large section of Ukraine. I said, ‘How smart is that?’ And he’s gonna go in and be a peacekeeper. That’s the strongest peace force.” 

Fmr. President Donald Trump

February 2022  « Quote Source »

 

Many of Donald Trumps MAGA supporters have followed along with this rhetoric, often times placing the blame upon the current Biden administration, or labeling the current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a corrupt aggressor.

 

Current Georgia House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who often follows the directions of her party leader Donald Trump, went as far as to congratulate the Russian offensive last year on X.

 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) blames Ukraine for being invaded: "You see Ukraine just kept poking the bear, poking the bear, which is Russia, and Russia invaded. And the hard truth is ... there is no win for Ukraine here. Russia is being very successful in their invasion." pic.twitter.com/RVHeMzSJ2F

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) March 22, 2022

 

This is in no way to say that the current Ukrainian administration is filled with honest and selfless politicians, but to say their actions were the leading cause of the invasion is to live in a fantasy land.

 

Speaking of fantasy land, during a ranting speech he gave while announcing his faux presidential election campaign, Putin remarked on the declining state of the U.S.-led global order, asserting, "it is our country that is now at the forefront of creating a more equitable world order."

 

Additionally, Putin claimed that “I want to emphasize: without a sovereign, strong Russia, no lasting, stable world order is possible,”.

 

Of course if you believe that the two invasions of Ukraine since 2014, the invasion of Georgia in 2008, and the massacre of the Chechen people in the 1990s count as creating a stable world, then perhaps that would make sense.

 

But unfortunately despite the perception that we live in a wiser and more knowledgeable world, many people still buy into this. 

 

Another example of the Russian propaganda machine that only the most “intelligent” of our free thinkers in the U.S. commonly follow is the Russian state-funded and state-directed media outlet RT news. RT plays a pivotal role in disinformation within the media ecosystem by amplifying Kremlin-aligned content, including material linked to Russian intelligence, and engaging in social media-based dissemination of cyber-enabled disinformation.

 

In September of 2023, RT news announced a show that was said to featured their favorite pro-Russian news representative in the United States, Tucker Carlson. 

 

Under Donald Trump's presidency, Carlson gained popularity on Kremlin-controlled television for frequently echoing his skepticism about Moscow's alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

 

In response, Carlson denied any connection, stating, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of this, or the channel. Of course I’m not hosting a show on Russian television. That’s absurd. Please.”

 

Perhaps he may be telling the truth, but what's really absurd here is that he believes that anyone buys in to the idea that he has never heard of the organization.

 

Of course none of this may have changed your mind, as it often does not, but the main takeaway is that much of the United States has fallen hard for Russian propaganda. While it is accepted and encourage to question the motives for involvement in a foreign war, the applaud the dictator of historic rival is downright unpatriotic.