The Russia Scare: Fake News and Genuine Threat

Description

The Russia Scare assesses the scope, character and extent of Russian interference in the affairs of liberal democratic states. This book examines the ‘Russia scare’ in a dynamic manner, stressing the interaction between threat perception, responses and subsequent policies. What forms did this threat take, what were the instruments used, how effective were the deployed tools and who were the allies with whom Russia worked in these endeavours? Above all, what impact did interference have on target societies? The book explores why Russia engaged in such activities, what the probable chain of command was (if any) and the role of the Russian leadership in all of this, as well as investigating the response of Western societies and governments. The author sifts the real from the imagined, which can only be achieved by establishing the larger historical context. He scrutinises the fundamental question: was Russia before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 really engaged in a sustained ‘hybrid warfare’ campaign to sow discord and undermine Western democracies? If so, what were the strategic purposes underlying such an activity? Various hypotheses are analysed, notably that Russian post-Cold War activity is nothing exceptional in the context of great power confrontation; that all great powers are engaged in one way or another in such actions, and thus contextualisation is important; and that Russia’s subversive activity was often exaggerated, even misrepresented. Responses potentially amplified the elements of subversion represented by the original threat. Threats exist, but responses always need to be calibrated so as not to inflict self-harm on the integrity of liberal democracy itself. This book will be of great interest to students, scholars and academics of international relations, comparative politics, security and defence studies, global governance and Russian politics, as well as politicians, political advisers, NGOs, diplomats and journalists. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Historical Legacies and Context Worries and Wormholes Russian Phobias or Russophobia The International Context Populism and Russian Soft Power Notes Chapter 2 Was Putin Out to Subvert the West? The Russia Scare and Cold War II Cultural Conflict and Geopolitics Active Measures and Soft Power Offshore Corruption Power Politics Autocracy Promotion and Double Standards Notes Chapter 3 The Russians Are Coming 1: Meddling in America Russiagate Maria Butina and Her Friends The Case of Dimitri Simes Cold War II and the Silencing of Dissent Notes Chapter 4 The Russians Are Coming 2: Britain, Brexit and Beyond Brexit Blues Strange Connections The Skripal Mystery The Russia Report: Findings The Russia Report: Reception Notes Chapter 5 The Russians Are Coming 3: Europe and Beyond Continental Cases Back to the Wall Notes Chapter 6 Cyber Conflict and Management Cyberattacks and Hybrid Warfare Managing Cyber Relations Notes Chapter 7 Information Warfare and Disinformation Struggles The Global Disinformation War The Counter-disinformation Complex Blowback: Neo-journalism and the Russia Scare Notes Chapter 8 Explanations and Interpretations Cold War II and Interference Post-diplomacy and Values in International Politics Deception and Self-Deception The People Speak Notes Chapter 9 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index