The empire of lies. Russia accuses Ukrainians of "Russophobia" by presenting them with pigs and ghouls

Timothy Snyder's historical speech at the UN Security Council meeting on February 14, 2023. Ladies and gentlemen, I act as a historian of Eastern Europe, in particular, as a historian of mass murders and political crimes. I am glad that I was asked to inform you about the use of the term "Russophobia" by Russian statesmen. I believe that such a debate can clarify something about the nature of Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine and illegal occupation of the Ukrainian territory by Russia.

I will say briefly and limit myself two moments. My first remark is that the harm of Russians and Russian culture is first and foremost the result of the policy of the Russian Federation. If we are concerned about the harm of Russians and Russian culture, then we must worry about the Russian state policy. My second note is that the term "Russophobia" we discuss today was used during this war as a form of imperial propaganda in which the aggressor claims the role of the victim.

Last year, it was an excuse of Russian crimes in Ukraine. Let me start with the first item. The prerequisite for discussing "Russophobia" is that we are concerned about causing harm to the Russians. This is a prerequisite that I definitely share. I share concern to the Russians. I share anxiety about Russian culture. Let us remember the actions of the last year that have caused the greatest harm to the Russians and Russian culture. I briefly name ten. 1.

Coercion of the most creative and productive Russians to emigration. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to the fact that about 750,000 Russians left Russia, including some of the most creative and productive people. This is irreparable for Russian culture, and this is the result of Russian politics. 2. Destruction of independent Russian journalism so that the Russians cannot know what is happening around. It is also Russian politics, and it causes irreparable harm to Russian culture. 3.

General censorship and suppression of freedom of expression in Russia. In Ukraine, you can say everything you want, Russian or Ukrainian. In Russia - no. If you stand in Russia with the "No War" poster, you will be arrested and most likely to be planted. If you are in Ukraine with a "no war" poster, whatever language it may be, nothing will happen to you. Russia is a country of one basic language where little can be said. Ukraine is a country of two languages ​​where you can speak anything.

When I visit Ukraine, people tell me about Russia's war, using both languages, Ukrainian or Russian, as they are more convenient. 4. Attack on Russian culture with the help of censorship of school textbooks, weakening of Russian cultural institutions, elimination of museums and non -governmental organizations engaged in Russian history. All this is Russia's policy. 5.

Distortion of memory of the Second World War by conducting aggressive wars in 2014 and 2022, that is, the deprivation of all future generations of Russians of this heritage. This is Russian politics. It caused great harm to Russian culture. 6. The humiliation of Russian culture around the world and the end of what was previously called "Russian peace" abroad. Earlier in Ukraine there were many people who treated Russia and Russian culture. Two Russian invasions were launched.

These invasions were the policy of the Russian state. 7. Mass killings of Russian -speaking in Ukraine. As a result of the Russian aggressive war, more native speakers in Ukraine were killed in Ukraine than as a result of any other action today. 8. The invasion of Russia into Ukraine led to the mass death of Russian citizens who fought soldiers in its aggressive war. About 200,000 Russians were killed or crippled. It is, of course, just Russian politics - to send young Russians to die to Ukraine. 9.

Military crimes, trauma and guilt. This war means that a generation of surviving young Russians will be involved in war crimes and for life will be shrouded in trauma and guilt. This is a great harm to Russian culture. All this harm to the Russians and Russian culture was caused by the Russian government itself, mostly in the last year. If we were sincerely concerned about the harm to the Russians, we would have thought about it. But perhaps the worst Russian policy on Russians is the latter. 10.

The constant training and belief of the Russians that genocide is normal. We see this in repeated statements by the President of Russia that Ukraine does not exist. We see this in fantasies about genocide in the Russian state media. We see this during the year when state television turns to millions or tens of millions of Russian citizens daily. We see this when Russian state television represents Ukrainians with pigs. We see this when Russian state television represents Ukrainians with parasites.

We see this when Russian state television represents Ukrainians with worms. We see this when Russian state television represents Ukrainians with Satanists or ghouls. We see this when Russian state television states that Ukrainian children need to be sinking. We see this when Russian state television states that Ukrainian homes need to be burned with people inside. We see this when people on Russian state television say, "They should not be at all. We must shoot them.

" We see this when anyone appears on Russian state television and says: "We will kill 1 million, we will kill 5 million, we can destroy you all,"-having in mind all Ukrainians. So, if we were genuinely concerned about the harm to the Russians, we would be concerned about what Russian politics is doing with the Russians. The statement that Ukrainians are "Russophobes" is another element of spraying Russian hatred on Russian state television.

In the Russian media, these and other statements about Ukrainians are mixed with the statement that Ukrainians are Russophobia. For example, in a speech on Russian state television, where the speaker proposed to destroy all Ukrainians, he argued that they all need to be destroyed because they show "Russophobia". The statement that Ukrainians need to be killed because they have a mental illness known as "Russophobia", harmful to the Russians because it raises them in the spirit of genocide.

But, of course, such a statement is much worse for Ukrainians. This leads me to the second paragraph. The term "Russophobia" is a rhetorical strategy known to us from the history of imperialism. When the empire attacks, the empire claims that it is a victim. The rhetoric that Ukrainians are somehow "Russophobia" are used by the Russian state to justify the aggressive war. Language is very important. But the most important is the situation in which it is used.

This is the situation: Russian invasion of Ukraine itself, destruction of entire Ukrainian cities, execution of Ukrainian local leaders, violent deportation of Ukrainian children, the movement of almost half of the Ukrainian population, the destruction of hundreds of hospitals and thousands of schools, deliberate stopping of water and heat in winter. Such is the situation. This is what really happens.

The term "Russophobia" is used in this environment to promote the statement that the imperial state is a victim, even though the imperial state, Russia, is wage a brutal war. This is historically typical behavior. The imperial power dehumanizes the actual victim and claims to be a victim. When the victim (in this case, Ukraine) opposes attack, murder, colonization, the empire says that it is to be left alone, it is unreasonable that it is a disease. What is Phobia.

It is a statement that the victims are irrational, that they are "phobney", that they have a "phobia", aims to divert attention from the real experience of victims in the real world, which, of course, is the experience of aggression, war and cruelty. The term "Russophobia" is an imperial strategy aimed at translating the topic from a real aggressive war to the feeling of aggressors, thus replacing the existence and experience of people who have caused the greatest harm.

The imperialist says, "We are the only people here. We are real sacrifices. And our offended feelings mean more than other people's lives. " Now Russia's military crimes in Ukraine can and will be evaluated by Ukrainian legislation because they are taking place in the Ukrainian territory and international law. The naked eye shows that there is an aggressive war, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The use of the word "Russophobia" in this situation, the assertion that Ukrainians are mentally ill rather than atrocities are colonial rhetoric. It is part of a wider practice of igniting hatred. That is why this session is important: it helps us to see the crazy statements of Russia about genocide. The idea that Ukrainians have a disease called "Russophobia", is used as an argument for their destruction, along with arguments that they are parasites, Satanists and more.