ALMATY -- Russia is attempting to portray itself as a victim as tensions flare along the border with Ukraine, even as it steps up military deployments and exercises in preparation for a potential invasion.
Kyiv and its western allies have been sounding the alarm over a buildup of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine in recent months, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of planning a massive attack.
Russia continues to build up its forces along the border with Ukraine and has now deployed "north of 100,000" troops, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday (February 9).
"We have continued to see even over the last 24 hours additional capabilities flow from elsewhere in Russia to that border with Ukraine and Belarus," he said, declining to provide specific numbers.
On Monday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said there are upwards of "140,000 [Russian] soldiers heavily armed" on the border of Ukraine.
"We are living, to my understanding, the most dangerous moment for ... security in Europe after the end of the Cold War," he told reporters in Washington during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Borrell and Blinken said they shared "a strong concern" about the situation on the ex-Soviet state's borders.
"140,000 troops massed in the border is not to go to have tea," Borrell underscored.
Kremlin propaganda, aggression
Even as the Kremlin denies planning to invade Ukraine, it has in recent months ramped up propaganda describing the United States and NATO as aggressors carrying out "destabilising" acts.
"Russian government officials falsely portray Russia as a perpetual victim and its aggressive actions as a forced response to the alleged actions of the United States and our democratic allies and partners," the US State Department said in a statement January 20.
"To further these claims, Russia turns to one of its favourite labels to attempt to hit back: 'Russophobia'," said the statement, which covered the Kremlin's common disinformation themes.
"After invading Ukraine in 2014, the Russian government and state-controlled disinformation outlets began to accuse anyone who questioned Russia's actions of being xenophobic Russophobes."
"The Kremlin frequently tries to create multiple false realities and insert confusions into the information environment when the truth is not in its interests," it said.
Independent researchers have noticed, for example, an uptick in social media posts accusing Ukraine of plotting genocide against ethnic Russians, The New York Times reported January 25.
Moscow and its online allies have pushed out claims about western Ukrainians being aligned with Nazism and falsely accused the United States of using proxy forces to plot a chemical attack, according to researchers.
Other propaganda claims that Russia's planned military operations are intended to protect ethnic Russians or pre-empt action by NATO.
A history of lies
But the Kremlin's lies are not getting past Central Asians.
History shows that "Moscow itself has been the aggressor", having violated the territorial integrity of several former Soviet republics, such as Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, said Alnur Musayev, a former chairman of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) who now lives in Vienna, Austria.
He pointed to a January 28 statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in which Lavrov warned other countries not to strengthen Ukrainian security at Russia's expense.
Russia is denying Ukrainian individuality and sovereignty, and it has declared its intention to wage war, Musayev said.
"All these years, while Putin has led Russia, the Kremlin's information policy has been built on deceit, the shared motif of which says that the country is surrounded by enemies and Russophobes," Musayev said.
Kazakhstan also has firsthand experience with the Kremlin's aggressive propaganda, which depicts Russia as a "victim", he added.
Musayev pointed to provocative statements asserting Russian ownership of northern Kazakh territory and accusing Kazakh nationalists of suppressing the Russian language.
"These accusations serve as a pretext for Russian security forces to train sabotage and reconnaissance units, which, under a hybrid warfare plan, could be able to quickly capture strategic facilities in Kazakhstan's northern provinces and establish an occupation regime there," he said.
Kazakhstan should prepare for this scenario by strengthening its law enforcement agencies and border services in the northern regions, Musayev said, suggesting the deployment of reliable personnel and provision of modern weapons and military equipment.
'Unprecedented' bullying
Russia has even attempted to portray itself as the victim of tiny Kyrgyzstan.
Last August, an intoxicated customer at a Bishkek shopping centre threw a calculator at a female cashier because she spoke to him in Russian instead of Kyrgyz, prompting Russian officials at the highest level to claim oppression.
The committee of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights called the incident an "unfriendly action against our compatriots in Kyrgyzstan" and an "attempt to insult Russian speakers based on linguistic and ethnic attributes".
Russian State Duma member Vladimir Zhirinovsky even held a protest outside the Kyrgyz embassy in Moscow that month.
"All sorts of bastards taunt and kill Russians all across the post-Soviet space, from Ukraine to Central Asia," he claimed. "How much of this will we put up with?"
Russia is conducting "a propaganda and political attack against Kyrgyzstan on an unprecedented scale", according to Askat Dukenbayev, a Bishkek-based political scientist.
Dukenbayev cited past fake news stories that the Russian regime used to inflame nationalists.
In 2014, its news outlets reported Ukrainian troops' supposed crucifixion of a three-year-old ethnic Russian boy in Ukraine. In 2016, they reported the supposed rape of a 13-year-old Russian-German girl in Germany by Arab migrants. Neither incident took place.
"[Russian propagandists] exploit problems in inter-ethnic relations in Kyrgyzstan, which remain a sore point for Russian irredentists," said Dukenbayev.
More and more Kyrgyz people are speaking out against the Russian military base in Kant. President S.J. doesn't understand we don't need the Russian base! They should get out and go back to Russia. Kyrgyzstan is a peaceful and freedom-loving republic; Russian military bases are not part of who we are! The mercy and generosity of the Russian world are some of the most false and dangerous myths of the last centuries. The Uzbek president Sh. Mirziyoev knows this perfectly well and is right in refusing to join the "soapy" CSTO! Sh. Mirziyoev is a wise and keen sage who calculates his moves in advance!
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Uzbekistan gave a harsh response to Lukashenko, who said Uzbekistan could also join the "Union State." No one needs an impoverished and backward cesspool called Russia.
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It turned out Zhirinovsky had been hiding that he was ill for two weeks. So now, half of the Russian government has been infected by the coronavirus. I give them a standing ovation!
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The Russian teenagers who blew up an FSB building in a video game were sentenced to five years in prison. I suggest arresting all actors who ever played criminals, and a firing squad execute whoever played Hitler. Three times.
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The Russian stock market is in a near permanent crisis. For 20 out of 25 years of its history, the market has been in a state of "financial crisis," according to RANEPA.
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Zyuganov, the leader of Russian Communists, is also in the hospital with COVID like Zhirinovsky. Big funerals are looming.
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A chicken is not a bird; and Russian pigs are not human beings.
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25/31 Caravanserai's defeat has been duly noted! We won't comment here anymore!
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The Ambassador of Great Britain in Ukraine Melinda Simmons: Britain is providing farmers with defensive weapons so that Russia won't accuse the Ukies of attacking them. Damn, this is a propaganda masterpiece. I haven't come across anything better these past weeks. Old Goebbels is giving a standing ovation in hell.
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The State Department recommended Americans leave Ukraine "immediately" using available commercial means of transportation. It's the 9th year of Euro-integration and the Revolution of "dignity" in this prosperous European nation of Khokhols!
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Admins of Caravansarai! I, too, want to write nasty things about Russia! Whom should I speak to?
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Biden urged Americans to leave Ukraine immediately. The Anglo-Saxons are definitely planning something bad.
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Russia should point out the exact areas on the border where they have their military forces along with the number of troops, and their types of weapons and military equipment within 48 hours, Kuleba said. Druggie.
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Impoverished and ignorant servants and serfs by birth will never be able to defeat a free Ukraine.
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The Russian stock market is in a near permanent crisis. For 20 years of its 25-year history, the market has been in "financial crisis" mode, according to RANEPA.
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A drunk Muscovite jumped into a snowdrift out of a 13th-floor window, screaming: "For the VDV!" [Russian Airborne Forces] Now he's in the ICU. Question: is it even possible to make a human out of a Russian pig?
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Putin is a Hitler wannabe, but even as such, he couldn't succeed; that's how mediocre and dumb he is.
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Zhirinovsky has had eight vaccine jabs, all made in Russia. Now he's unconscious in critical condition. I hope Russian healthcare won't fail him)))
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Polish PGNiG is suing Gazprom to demand a price reduction based on a request made on November 1, 2017. Guys, you won a case against Gazprom in 2020, demanding market prices for natural gas, didn't you? Do Polacks have the memory of a fish?
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British Defence Minister Ben Wallace arrived in Moscow. A word to the wise: you'd best keep silent, Mr. Wallace. Don't say a word. It's guaranteed this way you will look way smarter than your colleague from the British government.
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February 15 is a challenging day for Russia. It is supposed to invade Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Moscow with a visit, the Navalny trial will start, and the IOC will decide the fate of Kamila Valieva.
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News of Democracy. American police fatally shot 1,055 people last year. It's the highest number since 2015, the Washington Post reported.
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A few more Russian drug addicts got caught doping at the Beijing Olympics.
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In its ridiculous ultimatum, Russia is demanding a security guarantee from NATO.
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"The US urges Canada to stop demonstrators from blocking part of the border." Again: The USA called on the Canadian authorities to disperse a peaceful protest. What a shame. The USA cracks down on freedom and democracy.
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Joe urged Americans to leave Ukraine immediately: "American citizens must leave now." It sounds like hysterics; Joe is so eager to proceed with a bloodbath in Ukraine he doesn't want to wait until "the land gets frozen." Not that he needs it for a provocation, anyway.
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It's time to add Russia to the "State Sponsors of Terrorism" list.
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The chief Russian gay, comrade Zhirinovsky, is in the ICU with the coronavirus. It's a small thing, but it's still good news.
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Because Russia is turning into a fascist country.
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