OPINION: Russia’s Clownish Convoy of Threats

In a bizarre display that would make even a fictional dictator from a Sacha Baron Cohen movie blush, Russian propagandist Tigran Keosayan declared that “the fact that Europe still exists is an act of goodwill. It is an act of goodwill from our president.”

According to Keosayan, Europe only exists because Vladimir Putin, the benevolent ruler of Eurasia, has generously decided not to reduce it to ashes. Such a claim would be absurd if it were accurate. But it reflects a broader and infinitely more dangerous delusion in Russia’s propaganda machine.

This kind of idiotic claim is not an anomaly but a characteristic of the current Russian narrative. And it is a further indication that this war is not just “Putin’s war.” No, it is the war of all Russians – or at least a large part of them.

The grotesque carnival in the state media, the bizarre theatrics of the official spokespeople, and the frighteningly enthusiastic support for the invasion by a large part of the Russian public indicate that this is not just the project of a little man with a Napoleon complex. This is a national crusade, a modern holy war against Ukraine, cloaked in imperial nostalgia and draped in a rhetoric of existential threat.

When Western commentators try to characterize the war in Ukraine as “Putin’s war,” they miss the point. They want to believe that ordinary Russians, appalled by their government’s actions and longing for freedom, find themselves crushed under the weight of dictatorship. But that is not true!

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From grandmothers in Moscow rejoicing that Putin is “restoring Russia’s glory” to young men on the streets of Russia chanting “Glory to our soldiers” as they send off conscripts, this war enjoys widespread support in Russian society. Despite increasing casualties and economic hardship, the Russian public largely maintains the belief that Ukraine is a fascist state that demands defeat. And why shouldn’t they? Years of meticulously crafted propaganda have fulfilled their objectives, silencing or erasing dissenting voices.

Keosayan’s declaration is the latest in a series of humorous threats aimed at keeping the West on edge. Russia has become a caricature of itself, a nation that once inspired genuine fear now invites only ridicule. The Kremlin’s increasingly desperate attempts to maintain control of the narrative show that Russia has only empty threats and the specter of nuclear war in its arsenal.

In reality, Russia’s military performance in Ukraine has exposed it for what it really is: a clownish, incompetent regime that relies more on terror than actual military capability. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many in the West expected a quick conquest. Throughout the 20th century, people had feared the Russian army, a descendant of the Red Army, for its brutal strength. However, the subsequent military campaign was so inept that it would have been comical if the stakes had not been so high.

Tank convoys broke down on the Ukrainian streets, looking like old Ladas from the Soviet era. Soldiers looted supermarkets as their supply chains collapsed. Russian generals, used to commanding through fear rather than competence, stumbled from one misstep to the next. It became clear that Putin’s war machine was better suited for a comedy of errors than a successful blitzkrieg.

This war has shown that, despite its grandiose threats, Russia is not the superpower it once claimed to be. Stripped of its Cold War mystique, Russia revealed itself as a nation armed with large stockpiles of obsolete nuclear weapons and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Putin’s regime may still be dangerous, but it is as dangerous as a cornered animal – unstable, panicky, and prone to unpredictable outbursts. But the true hunter, armed with a simple rifle, can “tranquilize” such an animal.

And here lies the main problem: despite Russia’s obvious weakness, NATO and the West have failed to respond with the strength and determination that the situation demands.

Putin’s propagandists like Keosayan feel emboldened to make absurd claims that Europe’s existence is a “gesture of goodwill from President Putin” because, frankly, the West has not done enough to put them in their place. For years, Russia has tested NATO’s resolve, from the annexation of Crimea in 2014 to the poisoning of dissidents on Western soil. And again, the West’s response has been lukewarm at best.

The West’s unwillingness to fully confront Russia has allowed Putin to develop an elaborate fantasy in which he is the ultimate puppet master. His propagandists are more than pleased to reinforce this delusion, flooding the Russian airwaves with stories of Western cowardice and Russian power. But let’s not kid ourselves: It’s all just theater, a grotesque performance designed to disguise the Kremlin’s growing impotence.

If NATO does not take decisive action against Russia now, we can expect more of these imperial delusions in the future. Today it is Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be Moldova, Georgia, or even the Baltic states. Aggression fuels Putin’s regime, and allowing it to seize more territory without consequences only fuels its imperial ambitions.

Yes, the most powerful weapon in Russia’s arsenal is not its military, but its propaganda. Statements like Keosayan’s aim to instill fear and confusion, prompting the West to question its own strength and resolve. The truth, however, is that the only thing standing between Putin and total defeat in Ukraine is the West’s unwillingness and cowardice to act.

Putin and his propagandists are betting that the threat of nuclear war will paralyze the West. They know that the mere prospect of a nuclear conflict is enough to frighten European leaders. Therefore, nuclear weapons represent Putin’s final desperate move. It is the ultimate bluff, and like any con man, he is relying on the belief that no one will stop him from playing on that fear.

Russia has repeatedly demonstrated that it is a paper tiger – a regime that threatens but crumbles under pressure. The war in Ukraine has exposed the cracks in the Kremlin’s facade, and now is the time for the West to take advantage. NATO needs to stop tiptoeing around Russia’s threats and treat it for what it is: a rogue state responsible not only for war crimes in Ukraine but also for destabilizing global security.

Ultimately, it is hard not to see Putin as a tragic figure, a man who fancies himself a great leader but whose actions are more reminiscent of the unfortunate dictator from a bad satirical movie. Imagine for a moment Putin as Borat, the dorky Kazakh journalist from Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary. Like Borat, Putin and his regime cling to an old, bizarre worldview that has little connection to reality. Instead of a mustachioed idiot causing minor embarrassments in America, we have an authoritarian fool causing chaos in Ukraine – in Europe!

Therefore, the next time a Russian propagandist such as Tigran Keosayan declares that the existence of Europe is a “goodwill gesture” from Putin, keep in mind that this is not merely a lone delusion coming from a madman. It is a reflection of a broader disease that is infecting much of Russian society. And until the West wakes up and comes to terms with this reality, the circus will continue. Only this time the clowns are not funny—they are dangerous. Creepy, like something out of a cheap horror movie.

The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.