Ivan Timofeev, the Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), wrote an article June 30 that describes some of the sentiment felt by an increasing portion of Russians in regards to Western nations. The article was first posted on the Valdai Discussion Club website, a leading forum among policy-makers in Russia.
Timofeev writes: “In Russia, the point of view that the goal of the United States and the ‘collective West’ headed by Washington is a final solution to the ‘Russian question’ is becoming more and more widespread. Such a goal is seen as defeating Russia, levelling its military potential, restructuring its statehood, rewiring its identity, and possibly liquidating it as a single state. This view remained on the periphery of foreign policy thinking for a long time. The past year and a half has changed a lot. Today, this perception of the West’s goals has become mainstream. It has a stable and rationally reflected character.”
