ISW: Russia expands “anti-Nazi” rhetoric beyond Ukraine to further militarize Russian society

The Russian government is leveraging historical World War II narratives to justify its invasion of Ukraine while potentially preparing Russian society for a prolonged future conflict with NATO, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On 20 April, when Russian state journalist Pavel Zarubin questioned Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about the European Union’s recommendation that European leaders avoid attending Russia’s 9 May Victory Day Parade in Moscow, Lavrov responded by accusing the EU of promoting “neo-Nazi ideology” in Europe.

He declared that Russia “will make every effort to ensure that this ideology does not raise its head” and will destroy Nazism “once and for all.”

ISW reports that these statements form part of a sustained Kremlin campaign that invokes the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany, drawing on the emotional power of what Russians call the Great Patriotic War.

This strategy appears designed to generate negative sentiments toward Europe and NATO among Russians while building support for an increasingly militarized society.

The Kremlin consistently used this historical framework to justify demanding sacrifices from Russian citizens in support of the war effort in Ukraine, suggesting that such sacrifices would lead to a victory similar to that achieved in World War II.

President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials regularly use terms like “denazification” when calling for regime change in Ukraine and the installation of a pro-Russian government. Putin specifically cited claims of Nazi control over the Ukrainian government when justifying the full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.

This rhetorical approach is now being expanded beyond Ukraine to target Finland and former Soviet states, including Estonia and Moldova. This narrative framework appears to be setting informational conditions that could potentially justify future Russian aggression against these independent countries.