DISINFO: Ukrainian and Belarusian national clothes as tools of destruction of the Russian state
SUMMARY
Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians are part of the Russian people. The differences between Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian vyshivankas (national embroidered clothes) are exaggerated. The focus on insignificant differences and politicization of this issue inevitably result in the rise of Nationalism, followed by Nazism. Ukrainian and — lately— Belarusian national clothes are anti-Russian tools. Their popularization aims to destroy statehoods, including the Russian statehood. Anyone who attempts to politicize the issue of vyshivanka should be criminally persecuted for assault on constitutional order. Only one scenario will prevent Ukraine and Belarus from sliding into Nazism through the politicisation of national clothes: if the two countries become a Russian western federal area without a right for self-determination.
RESPONSE
The allegation that popularization of national clothes in Ukraine and Belarus targets Russia's statehood is ungrounded conspiracy. This message contains Russian irredentist ideology of All-Russian nation and is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about Ukraine and Nazism, and West's attempts to destabilize Belarus and to push it to follow the 'Ukraine's path'. The All-Russian nation is an Imperial Russian and Russian irredentist ideology which at present-time is one pro-Kremlin narratives aimed at weakening national identity of Belarusian and Ukrainians and these countries' sovereignty. Ukraine and Belarus are well-defined nation-states with a long history; both nations preserved language, literature and identity, despite foreign rule for long periods. Other examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets' attempts to question the Ukrainian and Belarusian nations can be seen here, here and here.