In street interviews across Moscow, many Russians say they believe the West hates them and that Russia may soon face the same kind of attack now unfolding against Iran. But where did this belief come from — and why does it persist despite Russia being the aggressor in Ukraine? In this video we examine how the Kremlin has spent years reframing criticism of the Russian state as hatred toward the Russian people themselves. Former political prisoner Mikhail Khodorkovsky explains why this narrative is so powerful: when people see themselves as victims of foreign hatred, responsibility disappears and action becomes unnecessary. Instead of asking what is being done in their name, citizens are encouraged to see the state as their defender against an outside enemy. The result is a psychological strategy that has helped Vladimir Putin maintain control even as Russia wages war abroad and isolates itself from the democratic world.
russians are so dumb they think the US is against them, but without the US help, their country would have been defeated in this war a long time back.