“It is not Ukraine that is the enemy, but these monsters”: Putin’s speech indicates the war he is preparing for

EXPRESS “It is not Ukraine that is the enemy, but these monsters”: Putin’s speech indicates the war he is preparing for Article by Martin Gätke (mg) • 15 hrs Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting of the “Pobeda” organizing committee on Tuesday (September 5, 2023). What Putin has to say at the beginning of his speech while video-connected to the meeting of the "Pobeda" organizing committee - a committee that oversees patriotic education in Russia - is very much like the usual propaganda babble. But then he makes a remarkable comparison - one that experts say hints at how he sees the war going. Ukraine: Putin draws comparison to World War II in speech At the “Pobeda” (in English: “Victory”) meeting, Putin, who was on the line, explained that Russia was not fighting Ukraine. "But against 'banderit' monsters and their kind," said Putin. “It is necessary to dig up the evidence and show it to the world so that there is no misunderstanding about who we are fighting. So that it is clear and understandable what goals we are pursuing and who our enemy is. It's not the Ukrainian people, it's these monsters and their followers.” The term "Banderit" is reminiscent of the former Ukrainian partisan leader Stepan Bandera and the radical nationalist and anti-Semitic OUN-B, part of the "Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists". The "B" stands for Bandera people, also called "Banderites". They participated in the murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews by the Germans in western Ukraine during World War II. Bandera is repeatedly exploited by the Kremlin for propaganda purposes, including this time. In his speech, the President once again wants to make it clear that he is concerned with the “denazification” of Ukraine – the Kremlin has used this as a pretext for invading the country since day one. Then, during his speech, Putin drew a comparison between his own “special operation” and the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany. He commemorated the sacrifices made in the main battles of World War II, known in Russia as the “Great Patriotic War”. Ukraine: Putin lays ideological foundation for longer war For example, he mentioned the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history. He recalled August 1943, when areas in Russia occupied by Nazi Germany were liberated and the infrastructure was rebuilt. "All of this is of course consistent with the current situation," Putin said. "The special military operation continues." There, too, funds would be made available to rebuild houses, schools and hospitals. According to the US think tank “Institute for the Study of War”, these parallels drawn by Putin show that the Kremlin is beginning to recognize the “special operation” as a “real war”. "These parallels also signal to Russian audiences at home that the ongoing Russian war effort is really a war, despite its insistence on the euphemism of a 'special military operation,'" reads the latest report. The parallels also aimed to convey two things to the Russians: First, that the country is actually at war. And with these words, Putin wanted to lay an ideological foundation for a longer war effort. The evocation of long-gone victories and successes is a recurring theme in Putin's propaganda, and the comparison of the alleged Nazi regime in Ukraine with the fight against Nazi Germany is nothing new. Nevertheless, something seems to be changing in the direction of the propaganda: Given the Ukrainian counter-offensive and its recent successes, Putin seems to have realized that the war could last longer. He seems to want to prepare the Russian people for this.