Saving Konev with Ricin Poison?

How the Pro-Government Media in Russia Explain the Crisis

2 June 2020

The pro-Kremlin media joke about reports of a Russian agent with poison who came to kill Czech politicians. They ironise Czech journalists, demand the publication of evidence, label reports about the Russian agent with ricin as “fake news” and almost openly suggest abducting the politicians as a legitimate solution, mentioning the example of Nazi criminals.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the “war of memory” unleashed by Russia against some countries in Central and Eastern Europe did not come to halt.

After the Second World War, these countries were included in the Soviet block, but in the late 1980s, they were done with the communist regime and freely decided to become part of the Western integration project, joining the EU and NATO.

In all Central European countries that became part of the Soviet block after the Second World War, without exception, the interpretation today is that the end of the war in Europe and the defeat of Nazism did not bring them real freedom, but one “brown” undemocratic regime was replaced by another: a “red” one.

Subscribe

Democratic security comes at a price. What is yours? By subscribing or donating now gain access to analysis, forecasts and scenarios by leading analysts and reporters who monitor democratic risks and develop policy debate from Central Europe on Central Europe.

MonthlyVAT included

€4/month

See all details

  • Full access to articles and reports
  • Monthly foresights and risk analysis delivered by e-mail
  • Weekly newsletter with most important highlights
  • Visegrad Insight social media community groups invitation

AnnualVAT included

€40/year

See all details

  • All monthly features PLUS…
  • Free invitation to one editorial board discussion to participate in deciding on the future direction of the Visegrad Insight
  • Free delivery of two select hardcopies of Visegrad Insight reports

Student OR Donation

Choose your contribution

See all details

  • Full access to articles and reports
  • Monthly foresights, weekly newsletters, and risk analysis delivered by e-mail
  • Free invitation to one editorial board discussion to participate in deciding on the future direction of the Visegrad Insight (annual subscription only)

Can I receive an invoice?

Yes. You will receive a receipt immediately after purchase and a VAT invoice upon request. The subscription amount includes tax. In case of a donation, there is no tax.

Are my credit card details safe?

Yes. The payment is processed by STRIPE www.stripe.com entrusted also by Amazon, Zoom, Booking.com and used by other global NGOs and businesses in the world. We do not store your credit card details.

How modify or cancel my subscription?

At any moment you can manage your subscription and account details. Sign in to modify or cancel.

Grigorij Mesežnikov

Grigorij Mesežnikov is a political scientist and the President of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) in Slovakia. He has published expert studies on party systems’ development and political aspects of transformation in post-communist societies, illiberal and authoritarian tendencies, populism, nationalism and hybrid threats in various monographs, collections and scholarly journals in Slovakia and other countries.

Newsletter

Weekly updates with our latest articles and the editorial commentary.