Alexander Neuman
Russian state media and political elites have mistaken U.S. signaling that Washington is ready for genuine dialogue by rolling back major Russia, Europe, and Eurasia-focused analytical and broadcasting outlets. While combating “genuine enemy propaganda” remains a priority, the U.S. has signaled that it will do so “with the fundamental truth that America is a great and just country whose people are generous and whose leaders now prioritize Americans’ core interests while respecting the rights and interests of other nations” (U.S. Department of State, January 22) Instead of interpreting these signals as signs of respect for Russia’s rights and interests, the rollbacks are being portrayed in Russian media as signs of weakness.
On March 14, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order reducing the “statutory functions and associated personnel” of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Voice of America (VOA), and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) (White House, March 14; RFE/RL, March 15). These actions were aligned with the “America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State” and a “a foreign policy centered in [U.S.] national interest” (U.S. Department of State, January 15; The White House, January 20). These actions imply an easing of pressure on Russia as the Trump Administration edges toward negotiating a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. Similar actions to this end have been the suspension of several U.S. national security agencies’ work on offensive cyberoperations against Russia (AP, March 3). Russian media, however, have not interpreted Washington’s withdrawal from Russia’s information space as the administration’s pursuit of peace, and instead are portraying these actions as signs of U.S. weakness.
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