8 Lies About Russia That Are Killing Us

In recent years, the world's perception of Russia has been plagued by confusion, misunderstanding, and outright denial of the truth. This ambiguity is largely due to a mix of misinformation, wishful thinking, and an unwillingness to confront hard realities. We are not dealing with a nation like any other; what is happening with Russia today is far more sinister. Here are eight lies we keep telling ourselves about Russia—and they are slowly killing us.

1. Russia Is Not a Country, It's a Terrorist Organization

Let’s be clear: Russia is no longer a country in the traditional sense. It is now a terrorist organization that controls a territory formerly known as Russia. If no one in their right mind would call the "Islamic State" a legitimate country, why do we continue to give Russia that respect? This organization’s goal is terror, destruction, and the annihilation of what remains of international law and order. The sooner we admit this, the sooner we can start defending ourselves effectively.

2. The “Good” Russians Are Long Gone

We like to pretend that there’s still some core group of Russians who share our values and are just waiting to rise up and free their country. Sorry, that group left decades ago. After more than a century of Soviet and then Putinist dictatorship, those Russians who couldn't stomach it fled long ago. The vast majority who remain in Russia today are not trapped there—they're staying because Putin’s worldview works for them. They aren’t rebelling because, on some level, they agree with him.

3. Navalny Is No Hero of Democracy

We’ve lionized Alexei Navalny as the antidote to Putin’s autocracy, but let’s not fool ourselves. Navalny was an extreme nationalist, someone who has openly called foreigners "vermin to be eradicated." He has never softened his xenophobia, and his political stance was far closer to western far right than to any liberal ideal. While he was the opposition to Putin, that doesn’t make him our ally. The real Russian opposition—the kind we could actually support—left Russia long ago, with figures like chess champion Garry Kasparov leading the charge from abroad. But none of that opposition will have any influence until Russia is crushed militarily.

4. Russia Is at War with the West, Not Just Ukraine

We need to stop framing this as a “war in Ukraine” when it’s really a war against the entire Western world. Putin has said it himself, repeatedly. He doesn’t just want territory; he wants to destroy our values, our way of life. Everywhere Russia’s forces go, they carry out genocidal ethnic cleansing. Torture, mass murder, total obliteration of civilian populations—this has been Russia’s method for 500 years. It’s not new, and we are the real target. Ukrainians are just in the way for now.

5. Russia Is the Last Colonial Empire

Western colonialism ended more than 50 years ago. Russia, however, is still living in the 19th century, holding 80% of its population under colonial subjugation. Ethnic minorities in Russia are treated like second-class citizens, reminiscent of apartheid-era South Africa. They have fewer rights and little hope for improvement. Russia is the world’s last great colonial empire, a relic that the modern world should have wiped out decades ago. Instead, we let this dinosaur fumble forward, destroying everything in its path.

6. Russia Is the Enemy, Not Just Putin

We keep saying "Putin" as if the problem will disappear when he’s gone. Wrong. Russia as a whole—its government, its military, and its people—are at war with us. They haven’t adapted to modernity, and now they’re resorting to violence to take what they could never build with their own intellect. This is a nation that has attacked three countries, caused hundreds of thousands of deaths—far more than 9/11—and yet, we’re still hesitating to call them what they are: the enemy. The sooner we wake up to that reality, the better.

7. NATO Doesn’t “Expand”— It Defends

Russian propaganda loves to claim that NATO is “expanding” like some kind of empire. That’s nonsense. If anything, NATO is dragging its feet, refusing entry to countries like Ukraine that are desperate for protection. Countries beg to join NATO because they want defense against Russian aggression, not because NATO is forcing anyone’s hand. Western countries don't “dominate” the world, they are simply more successful economically. Refusing to admit criminals into our club is not domination—it’s common sense. And contratry to rogue countries, we do actively prosecute our own criminals, we don't tolerate them.

8. China Is an Active Ally of Russia

It’s time to face facts: China is not a neutral bystander. China is supplying Russia with drone parts that kill Ukrainians, machinery for Russian munitions factories, and microchips for their missiles, all in exchange for Russian oil. China is helping Russia circumvent sanctions and continue its war. If we fail to recognize that China is our enemy too, we are heading for disaster.

We need to enact an economic blockade against China. Yes, it would be painful for us, but it would also be devastating for them, and a world war would be much, much more expensive for us anyway. An economic blockage against any country directly undermining our safety would not only be the morally obvious choice, it would also be the opportunity to recreate our industrial base and employment. Deglobalization has a steep cost, obviously, but that's the price of freedom and safety.

Conclusion: It's Time to Confront the Truth

For too long, we’ve been telling ourselves comforting lies about Russia. We’ve believed that the problem was just one man, that there was a peaceful opposition waiting in the wings, or that we could ignore what’s happening because it only concerns Ukraine. But the truth is far more dangerous. Russia is at war with the West, with all of us, and they won’t stop until they are decisively beaten. Until we confront these realities, we are only setting ourselves up for even greater pain. The time for denial is over.