{"id":1174373,"date":"2025-06-26T18:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T15:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/?p=1174373"},"modified":"2025-06-26T14:38:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:38:21","slug":"challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenging the Myth of \u2018Russia\u2019s Invincibility\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Moscow and its allies have long pushed the narrative that Russia is unbeatable. But who is behind this myth, and what purpose does it serve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This idea of Russian invincibility is gaining traction not just in pro-Kremlin outlets but also among some Western politicians and analysts, who either explicitly or subtly suggest that Russia has a unique resilience in war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of rhetoric doesn\u2019t just misrepresent reality \u2014 it also influences public perception and policy responses, shaping how societies understand the war and what outcomes they believe are possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dive in this topic with\u00a0Petro Oleshchuk,<\/strong>\u00a0political scientist, Ph.D, expert at the United Ukraine Think Tank, in his\u00a0article<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0The Gaze.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, the autor argues that one of the most prominent examples of promoting the myth of Russia\u2019s invincibility came from former U.S. President Donald Trump. In May 2024, Trump stated: \u201cThey defeated Hitler and Napoleon. It is a powerful nuclear state with a very intelligent leader. We need to negotiate.\u201d With this, he not only echoed central themes of Russian propaganda but also repeated historical oversimplifications that favor Moscow\u2019s narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to The Washington Post<\/em>, such remarks reflect the extent of Vladimir Putin\u2019s influence over Trump, who has frequently expressed pro-Russian sentiments\u2014calling Putin a \u201cgenius\u201d and a \u201cstrong leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s comments align with those of other Western figures who argue against applying too much pressure on Russia. A common refrain is that \u201cRussia cannot be defeated,\u201d as doing so could supposedly trigger a \u201cthird world war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, Trump has also contradicted his own statements. While claiming Russia defeated Hitler, he officially designated May 8 as Victory Day in World War II and November 11 as the commemoration of the end of World War I\u2014both aligning with U.S. and Allied perspectives, not Russia\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, Oleshchuk emphasizes that a central claim made by those who promote the myth of Russia\u2019s invincibility is that nuclear powers cannot be defeated \u2014 the argument being that if Russia were to face defeat, it would resort to nuclear weapons. However, this logic doesn\u2019t hold when applied to Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine, which poses no existential threat to the Russian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine\u2019s goal is not the destruction of Russia, but the end of its aggression and the restoration of Ukraine\u2019s territorial sovereignty. Victory, in this case, doesn’t involve marching on Moscow\u2014it means compelling Russia to withdraw its troops and abandon its neo-imperial agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This outcome is realistic. Ukraine has already proven that sustained military resistance can yield results, as seen in the liberation of the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. Alongside this, diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions, and international legal action continue to erode Moscow\u2019s position. Domestic instability in Russia \u2014 from internal elite tensions to public discontent \u2014 may also undermine the regime\u2019s capacity to wage war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, continued military aid to Ukraine is essential. It empowers Ukraine not just to defend its territory, but also to carry out effective counterattacks \u2014 even beyond its borders, if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a political scientist comes to the conclusion that the notion of Russia\u2019s invincibility is not a fact, but a deliberate propaganda narrative. It is designed as a psychological weapon, a means of geopolitical intimidation, and a pretext for avoiding hard choices. This myth is promoted not only by Kremlin propagandists but also by some Western leaders who hesitate to take a firm stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet history, current events, and on-the-ground realities make one thing clear: Russia can<\/em> be defeated. Its so-called invincibility is not a truth, but a convenient illusion embraced by those unwilling to confront it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full article by\u00a0Petro Oleshchuk<\/strong>\u00a0on The Gaze:<\/strong> Debunking the \u2018Russia Can\u2019t Be Defeated\u2019 Myth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also:<\/strong> How a Ceasefire \u2014 or Its Absence \u2014 Could Reshape the West\u2019s Ukraine Strategy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moscow and its allies have long pushed the narrative that Russia is …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":1174379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[76,78],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1174373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications-en","tag-glavnoe-en","tag-homepage-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChallenging the Myth of \u2018Russia\u2019s Invincibility\u2019 - Freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Challenging the Myth of \u2018Russia\u2019s Invincibility\u2019 - Freedom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Moscow and its allies have long pushed the narrative that Russia is ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Freedom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-26T15:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/302-820x547.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"820\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"547\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Danylo Shportilo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Danylo Shportilo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Danylo Shportilo\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2\"},\"headline\":\"Challenging the Myth of \u2018Russia\u2019s Invincibility\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-26T15:01:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\"},\"wordCount\":646,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/302.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"\u0413\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0435\",\"\u041d\u0430 \u0433\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u0443\u044e (\u0441\u043b\u0430\u0439\u0434\u0435\u0440)\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Publications\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\",\"name\":\"Challenging the Myth of \u2018Russia\u2019s Invincibility\u2019 - Freedom\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/302.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-26T15:01:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f4fe8d6d08deebcdee69f6671576d2d2\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/en\/challenging-the-myth-of-russia-s-invincibility\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/302.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uatv.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/302.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte walk in a corridor ahead of a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday Oct. 3, 2024. 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