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Redefining Euro-Atlantic Values: Russia`S Manipulative Techniques

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Redefining Euro-Atlantic Values: Russia`S Manipulative Techniques REDEFINING EURO-ATLANTIC VALUES: RUSSIA`S MANIPULATIVE TECHNIQUES PREPARED BY THE NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE REDEFINING EURO-ATLANTIC VALUES: RUSSIA`S MANIPULATIVE TECHNIQUES Project director: Elīna Lange-Ionatamišvili Text Editor: Anna Reynolds This report is a product of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (NATO StratCom COE). It is produced for NATO, NATO member countries, NATO partners, related private and public institutions and related individuals. It does not represent the opinions or policies of NATO. © All rights reserved by the NATO StratCom COE. Products may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or publicly displayed without reference to the NATO StratCom COE. 1. NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence Riga, Kalnciema iela 11b, Latvia LV1048 www.stratcomcoe.org Ph.: 0037167335463 [email protected] 2 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................4 1.INTRODUCTION................................................ .....................................................................15 2.VALUES AND STRATEGIC POLITICAL COMMUNICATION......................................................18 3.THE EURO-ATLANTIC VALUES CATALOGUE: WESTERN AND RUSSIA’S INTERPRETATIONS......22 3.1. Values Orientation in Western Countries............................................................24 3.1.1. Political Values..........................................................................................24 3.1.2. Economic values.......................................................................................27 1. 3.1.3. Moral values.............................................................................................28 3.1.4. International relations and law dimension...............................................29 3.1.5. Value Orientation in Western Countries: Conclusions..............................32 3.2. Values Orientation in Russia................................................................................33 3.2.1. Political values...........................................................................................33 3.2.2. Economic values........................................................................................41 3.2.3. Moral values..............................................................................................42 3.2.4. The dimension of international relations and rights.................................42 3.2.5. Value Orientation in Russia: Conclusions..................................................49 4. MANIPULATIVE TECHNIQUES OF RUSSIA’S STRATEGIC POLITICAL COMMUNICATION.........51 5. MEDIA ANALYSIS: CASE STUDIES...........................................................................................54 5.1. Case Study - The Downing of MH-17...................................................................54 5.1.1. Used communication tools and redefinition of agenda...........................54 5.1.2. Redefinition of Euro-Atlantic values.........................................................62 5.1.3. Used narratives in the case of downing of MH-17...................................77 5.2. Implementation of Counter sanctions.................................................................80 5.2.1. Used communication tools and redefinition of agenda...........................80 3 5.2.2. Redefinition of Euro-Atlantic values.........................................................86 5.2.3. Used narratives in the case of Implementation of Counter sanctions.....90 5.3. The First Humanitarian Aid Convoy.....................................................................93 5.3.1. Used communication tools and redefinition of agenda...........................93 5.3.2. Redefinition of Euro-Atlantic values.........................................................98 5.3.3. Used narratives in the case of First Humanitarian Aid Convoy..............115 5.4. Case study: The Minsk II Agreement................................................................121 5.4.1. Used communication tools and redefinition of agenda.........................121 5.4.2. Redefinition of Euro-Atlantic values.......................................................129 5.4.3. Used narratives in the case of The Minsk II Agreement.........................133 6. CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................................................136 ACRONYMS.....................................................................................................................139 1. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY deconstructed and reconstituted by values derived from an authoritarian regime makes REASONING Western society vulnerable to influence. Since November 2013, when the uprising of Russia’s international ambitions are not the Ukrainian nation set in motion a wide based on conquering new territories, but spectrum of events and political process, on creating mental landscapes susceptible researchers and policy makers have been to political manipulation. Russia’s foreign policy goals with regard to the West are questioning the reasoning, consequences, 1. and international implications of those clear: ‘to weaken the West economically, political processes, as well as their impact to split it politically, and to establish Russia on the future of the international political as the hegemonic power on the European 1 environment. continent’ . Extensive material resources are unnecessary; individuals and societies that This study, Redefining Euro-Atlantic Values: question themselves are decisive ‘weapons’ Russia`s Manipulative Techniques, is not in the battle for influence. one of the many investigations published in recent months focusing on Russian Transitioning out of the international information warfare in Ukraine. It is not a relationships that dominated during the Cold study about them. This is a study about us, War was an eye- and mind-opening exercise namely, the ‘transatlantic community’—a for both governments and societies. Most community we consider to be based on of the countries that left the Soviet bloc, democratic values. This study seeks to including the Baltic States, joined those that answer an essential question: how can it be are based on democratic values; however that countries, which enjoy leading positions some keep their old values, fashionably in terms of prosperity, freedom, solidarity, redressed in a style called ‘sovereign innovation, economic competitiveness, and democracy’. seemingly unlimited normative power based on the long-standing democratic traditions have neglected or ignored (intentionally 1 Motyl, A.J. (2015) ‘The West Should Arm and unintentionally) the manipulative Ukraine. Here’s Why—And How’, Foreign Affairs redefinition of their core democratic values. (10.02.2015), available at http://www.foreignaffairs.com/ articles/143056/alexander-j-motyl/the-west-should-arm- By allowing our core democratic values to be ukraine, last time accessed 15.02.2015l. 5 years ago is now undermining the coherence and functioning of core Euro-Atlantic values. ONE CONCEPT, TWO The information fog, actively created by anti- democratic propagandists, makes it easier INTERPRETATIONS for our adversaries to sway public opinion. This path leads only to information chaos International relations are based on and political crisis. The subversion of the communication—communication between Euro-Atlantic political course could become a governments and communication between reality if we continue to ignore Russia’s new societies. Communication that delivers policy tools. international norms, rules, and order depends The study begins by elaborating a catalogue on the use of a language that is understood by of Euro-Atlantic values in order to clarify all parties involved. For twenty-five years the language, illuminate the techniques used to most influential partners in the transatlantic redefine values, and identify how Russia has community seemed to speak the same been using political strategic communication language—a language that contributed to in Ukraine. The current interpretation of cooperation, mutual respect, and mutual international affairs depends on the interplay benefit. However, events in Ukraine have ‘between the politics of territory, guns or clearly shown that while the vocabulary money and the language of narrating the 1. used by the various states is identical, the world in coherent and persuasive stories’3, interpretation and implicit content of the so the catalogue of values has been divided words differs and can even be contradictory. into four categories: a) political values; The ‘foreign policy language’ spoken by b) economic values; c) moral values; d) politicians and experts from both democratic international relations and international law. and authoritarian regimes has brought The indicators attached to each of those four confusion to their respective societies. Values groups on the basis of the results of Values forming the backbone of our belief systems surveys carried out in the West and in Russia and attitudes are being contested. Belief have been used to provide a comparison of the systems that once were stable, durable, and interpretation of the same values in different difficult to influence have become a target political systems. (See Table 1. Summary: The for Russia’s political establishment, the state- Euro-Atlantic values catalogue: West’s and controlled media and other instruments of Russia’s interpretations)
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