The protests in Georgia displease the Russian leadership. She senses hypocrisy on the part of the West – and positions Russia as an adversary.
Moscow - The Georgian parliament has passed a controversial law in its first reading that is intended to reveal foreign influences on civil society. It reminds critics of a Russian legal act that severely restricts the activities of political organizations. Thousands poured into the streets to protest the law; There were even scuffles in parliament. All much to the dismay of Russian Foreign Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
In a post on Telegram published on Wednesday (April 17), Medvedev strongly condemned the demonstrations. They are not spontaneous protests, but staged. “There is an experienced and trusted Hollywood hand behind all of these rallies,” said the Foreign Minister.
“Russian idea” instead of “Western initiative” – law in the USA is stricter, according to Medvedev
In general, the law is only criticized because it is seen as a “Russian idea” instead of a “Western initiative”. It is hypocritical that a US State Department official expressed satisfaction at the first attempt to pass the law about a year ago. At the time, it was claimed that such a law was not in line with “Euro-Atlantic values” – although there has been a law “on foreign agents” in the USA since 1938. This “significantly restricts the activities of a large number of legal entities and individuals who represent the interests of foreign structures and personalities”.
“Fines, imprisonment, deportation, restrictions on the rights of 'undesirable' people and organizations - the entire arsenal is ready and will be applied immediately. However, this is considered completely normal,” said Medvedev. The fact that it is American law is sufficient as legitimation; After all, this is considered “the best”. The EU is also planning such a law, the interpretation of which should be handled even more strictly.
Medvedev likes Georgian law – and criticizes “Atlantic values”
In contrast, both Russian law and the proposed law in Georgia continued to allow “foreign agents.” But they are “quite rightly” demanding transparency here – in order to prevent “covert illegal foreign interference in the internal affairs of the state, in its economy and its political life”.
Finally, Medvedev is working on Western values in general. These “Atlantic values imposed by the Maidan and blood” are “extremely dubious gifts.” Even countries that “had previously been completely subservient to the Anglo-Saxons” were now becoming less and less friendly to them. “It appears that their patience and forbearance have reached their inevitable limits today. “It’s just the beginning,” said the Foreign Minister.
Russia presents itself as an anti-imperial power - the Ukraine war is glorified with its own past
Medvedev's remarks are in the same vein as other Russian statements from the recent past: the country is trying to sell itself as an anti-colonial power. This is particularly evident on the African continent, where Russia is increasingly supporting authoritarian governments while cementing its claim to vast resources. Moscow acts as an ally of African states and stirs up anti-Western sentiment. This production may seem cynical to many, especially since the same country is simultaneously waging a war of imperial conquest against its neighbor Ukraine, writes the US magazine
Foreign Policy
.
However, a narrative of colonial exceptionalism is deeply anchored in the Russian mentality. It was based on the long-standing claim that Russia had not conquered Siberia; rather, it was invited by the peoples living there. These peoples voluntarily joined the Russian Empire - a narrative that was carefully cultivated.
If one remains in this mindset, even the Ukraine war can be portrayed as an anti-colonial “special operation for independence,” as Andrei Bezrukov, a professor at a leading Moscow university and a former intelligence officer, put it. By portraying it as a defensive response to Western aggression, even this clearly imperialist war could be woven into the narrative of Russia as an anti-imperial power.
(tpn)