Perella-Savarese 1 Melchior Perella-Savarese Professor Erin Dietel-McLaughlin Writing & Rhetoric 7 April 2014 The New Cold War

At 7:32 PM on December 26, 1991 the Soviet flag was lowered from atop the Kremlin for the last time. In its place, the white, red, and blue of the Russian Federation flew above the former USSR. Over night, one of the worlds greatest superpowers crumbled into pieces. From the broken remnants of the Soviet Union, fifteen independent states emerged bordering the Baltic and Europe. As Russian President Vladimir Putin commented in March of 2014, Millions of Russians went to bed in one country and woke up abroad (Myers and Barry). The President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, resigned and handed over his position to the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. The Berlin wall fell and parades marched through the streets of the West. An ideological struggle between the communistic bear of red and the scales of liberty in the west came to a close. The tension between the US and the USSR was at an end. The Cold War was over. The world took a sigh of relief, memories of nuclear apocalypse in the past. Slowly, Russia began the process of piecing its broken government, economy, and people together. The federation lay in a grievous state of disrepair. In an interview in 2009, Putin commented on the period following the collapse of the Soviet State, These were years of the rebirth of Russia as a powerful and independent state with its own views. From the ashes of the USSR emerged a power hungry breed of businessmen,

Perella-Savarese 2 the oligarchs. These powerful individuals harnessed the shambles of the Russian government for their own use. They controlled the Russian economy and people through the oil industry and media outlets. In 1991, Vladimir Putin emerged from the secret spy rings of the KGB to become mayor of Leningrad. Slowly, he climbed the political ladder to reach the high echelons of Russian government. He gained momentum with the Russian people for his nationalistic fervor and was appointed Russian Prime Minister by Yeltsin in 1999. By 2000, he was one of the most powerful men in the political world of Russia. After serving for two terms as President, he stayed in the background as he manipulated the next President Medvedev . Putins political goal: to transform a broken Russia back to its former glory (Lucas 57). Russian intervention marks many recent world events. From Russias aid in the Middle East to countries such as Syria and Iran to Russias annexation of Crimea, Russia is reemerging as a world power. This new Russia is creating a New Cold War through the use of media to influence its nationalistic ideology and determine Russian policy, abroad and at home. The Cold War and this emerging conflict are not the same, different circumstances define todays struggle. But this New Cold War parallels the past. The New Cold War is detailed by current events, by the ideologies of Putin and his government, and by media redefining this age-old conflict. As Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean peninsula in the past month, the Ukrainian government was powerless to resist. Russias violent action of Ukraine echoes actions taken by Hitler before World War II. Hitler cited similar reasons for invading nearby Hungary and Austria: protection of ethnic peoples in other

Perella-Savarese 3 countries (Nau 129). German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble himself compared Putins actions to those take by Hitler in Germanys turbulent history. He said to a group of school children, "We know this from history. Hitler used such methods in Sudetenland and a lot more. These past actions ultimately resulted in WWII and eventually the Cold War. Putins actions in Ukraine parallel those of the past. The same actions were taken in Russias invasion of the Ossetia region of Georgia in 2008. Similarly, Russia closely modeled Germanys approach to the Berlin Olympics in conducting the Sochi Olympics. The Nazis used the Berlin Games as propaganda tool. German media blasted the Arian message of supremacy through newspapers and posters. All protests were crushed and dissent was eliminated (Berkes). During the winter Olympics, Russia banned all gay right supporters, human rights activists, and anti-government political figures. The same use of the media prevailed throughout the Olympics to paint protesters as antiRussian and support the Russian image of nationalism (Myers). Russia is mirroring the past. The use of nuclear weapons is resurging in US-Russia relations, a theme common to the Cold War. In January, US officials brought evidence to NATO allies of Russian missile tests. Russia tested ground-launched cruise missiles as early as 2008 (Gordon). Obama began his term by enacting the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia (State Department). Franklin C. Miller, a former defense official at the White House and the Pentagon, is quoted by the Times as saying, If the Russian government has made a considered decision to field a prohibited system, then it is the strongest indication to date that they are not

Perella-Savarese 4 interested in pursuing any arms control (Gordon). The Arms Race played an integral part in the Cold War. Fear of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) with nuclear weapons played to the tension between Russia and the West. After invading Crimea in March, Russia openly fired a ballistic missile capable of transporting a nuclear payload. As Russian Media News Anchor Dmitry Kiselyov mentioned to his viewers with a picture of a nuclear explosion in the background, the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. into radioactive dust (Mackey). The Russian people are ingrained with the belief that nuclear weapons defend them from the west. Russia is gradually recreating conditions from the Cold War. Russia is employing economic warfare with the West. The EU relies on strategic gas and oil lines from Russia that flow through the Ukraine. Russias government owned monopoly, Gazprom, threatened to cut off these vital oil and gas lines. In 2004 and 2008, Russia ceased exporting gas through Ukraine to the EU. This measure was pointed at Ukraine, but affected the EU significantly. Billions of dollars of the EU economy rests in Russias hands (Lucas 163-189). In Putins words, The gas pipeline system is the creation of the Soviet Union (Lucas 164). It is a tool by which he can wrest power from the west. Edward Lucas, former Moscow bureau chief for The Economist, notes that Russia, wants to use those assets [gas pipelines] to exert political pressure (163). Putin recognizes his position of power. Additionally, Russias economy clashes with that of the EU, just as in the Cold War. Lucas goes on to note, That sets the stage for a fundamental clash between the EUs liberal, market based system and the dirigisme and monopolistic approach of the Kremlin in which, so far, Russia is winning hands down (165). The ideological

Perella-Savarese 5 struggle has begun anew. Russia is slowly gaining momentum in this new conflict that has arisen from the ashes of the past. The ideology of the Russian government explains the presumptions behind its actions. After the fall of the Soviet Republic, Russia fell into pieces. The ideological cement that held the nation together for decades crumbled overnight. Soviet states across the western front were lost, each become an independent nation. The military that threatened the west could no longer maintain the strict order it was feared for. The heart of the Russian republic, its strong willed people and communistic ideology, was broken. In a recent speech on Russian Television, Putin commented, Today, we live in a time that follows the collapse of a vast and great state, a state that, unfortunately, proved unable to survive in a rapidly changing world (Lucas 53). Putin himself realizes the situation Russia was placed in after the Cold War. Today, the Russian Federation seeks to place itself as a superpower once again; to regain its lost glory. Putins ideology is a snapshot into the goals of Russia today. In the same speech he goes on to say, despite all the difficulties, we were able to preserve the core of what was once the vast Soviet Union, and we named this new country the Russian Federation (Lucas 53). Putin sees Russia as the new Soviet Union. This worldview is important in defining actions taken by Putin and Russia. Russias invasion of Ukraine and of Georgia demonstrates this ideology in action. Putin has restricted the freedom of press across Russia reminiscent of Soviet days. Slowly, Russia is returning to her past. This ideology is becoming increasingly more apparent to the rest of the world. As Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper commented to a German

Perella-Savarese 6 businessman on Canadian News, As unfortunate as it sounds, its increasingly apparent to me that the Cold War has never left Vladimir Putins mind. This comment came after Russias recent exclusion from the Global Seven (G7) nations of which Canada is a member. Putin has controlled the Russian nation for the past two decades. The goal in the mind of the former KGB Colonel is evident through his actions and words. As Harper went on to say, he [Putin] still thinks in these [Cold War] terms. It is increasingly evident that Putin is pushing for the same circumstances that initiated the Cold War. This ideological resurgence threatens the west, as President Obama stated at a speech in Brussels, we must meet the challenge to our ideals, to our very international order. The threat of communism may be over, but a new threat is looming on the horizon. The clash between the ideology of the west and Russia is becoming more apparent. With Russias recent exclusion from the G7 (Smale and Shear) and denunciation by the UN (Sengupta), it is evident that tension is growing. Stanford University fellow and former aid to President Obama, Michael McFaul, outlines in a recent New York Times article the sentiment of the Russian people and government. He writes, Our new era is one defined by ideological clashes, nationalistic resurgence, and territorial occupation. He writes with the annexation of Crimea, by Russia, in mind. Russia is slowly regaining the nationalistic fervor it commanded during the Cold War. As McFaul states there is, a yearning for the old order and a resentment of the terms of the Cold Wars end. Slowly, Putin is pushing national sentiment to a rejection of past events to create a new union based off the old. Russia is characterized by, behavior reminiscent of Soviet days. It is important to

Perella-Savarese 7 realize the mentality of Russian citizens and government. The push for nationalism through a new form of the Soviet Union is essential to lead characters such as Putin as he determines the future oh his nation. The origin of this new ideology plays a significant role in Russia today and the future. The Cold War was defined by an ideological clash between Russias Communism and Democracy in the west (Nau 160). A similar ideological conflict is emerging between the nationalistic tendencies of Putin and his government with the democratic values of the west. This return of the old ideology is hammered into the Russian populace through state controlled media. A key aspect of the Soviet Union was the shroud of silence communism created. Media was state controlled; the people only knew what the supreme leader wanted them to know. The chilly repression of press is once again taking root in Russia. Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization, created a report regarding the state of press freedom in Russia. In a rating scale of 1 to 100 (100 being worst), Russia was rated 84 and listed as, Press Status: Not Free. The report goes on to detail, The already repressive press freedom environment in Russia declined even further with Vladimir Putins return to the presidency in 2012. Putin is enforcing a strict crackdown on the media commentary in Russia. Media is important in Putins strategy to control Russian sentiment. After his annexation of Ukraine, his approval rating jumped from 65% to 80% due to his government inspired portrayal (The Economist). Russia is returning to its roots, its media strategy plays an important role in its future decisions. Soviet expert Stephen Kramer noted, [S]ince his formal return to the presidency, Putin has overseen the worst deterioration in Russias democracy and human rights situation since the

Perella-Savarese 8 collapse of the Soviet Union. Reflections of the past are looming in the status quo. It is no coincidence that Putin is restricting media once again. As Prime Minister Harper noted, the ideology of the Cold War is ingrained into his fiber. Media is the ultimate tool to achieve his goal. Recent examples of media propaganda play an important role in the RussiaWest conflict. Comments like that of Anchorman Kiselyov (Russia can decimate the US to radioactive ash) highlight Russias media push to vilify the US. The Russian government is wresting control of the media from its populace. In a New York Times article titled, The Kremlins Social Media Takeover, Nickolay Kononov, editor in chief of the Hopes & Fears business magazine in Russia, details the governments propaganda push. He writes: Several weeks before pro-Russian forces intervened in Crimea, President Vladimir V. Putin won another important victory. On Jan. 24, the social network VKontakte [Russias Facebook], with its 60 million daily users, came under the control of businessmen allied with the Kremlin. The government now strives to control the social media so influential over Russian youth. In the past, protests such as those before the Olympics or those staged by the band Pussy Riot, have reached western ears only through the use of social media. The evolution of technology sets todays era apart from that of the past were the USSR created a barrier between its people and the outside world. Now the government is striving to close this barrier once more. Now the state has more direct access, whenever it wants, to the personal information, correspondence, locations and movements of tens of millions of Russians (Kononov). Russias international ideological conflict will be determined by its nationalistic ideological

Perella-Savarese 9 conflict waged between the government and its populace. So far, the government is winning. Russias media war has spread to the surrounding hemisphere. Throughout its invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian websites were attacked and disabled by Russian hackers. A monopoly on information has been established, says Igor Yakovenko, former head of Russias Journalists Association. It was not absolute, and is not absolute now, but over all the 14 years of Putins regime, he has strengthened the information vertical, step by step. At the root of the crisis in the status quo, is the media problem. New technology defines the 21st century ideological clash differently. In order to create the same environment impressed by the USSR, Russia has seized control of the social media, news stations, and newspaper outlets. As Lucas states, They [the Russian people] have no access to media (58). Current events are being shaped by the ideology pushed by Russian controlled media. Russian media has been utilized to shift the opinion of its populace. As a result, actions such as the invasion of Georgia and Ukraine are deemed appropriate. These actions, in turn, affect the world. Creating a situation akin to that of the Cold War. Aleksandr A. Prokhanov, a Russian journalist demonstrates the sentiment expressed by Russian media, I am afraid that I am interested in a cold war with the West. I was very patient. I waited for 20 years. I did everything I could so that this war would begin. I worked day and night (Barry). The media has played a successful role in returning Putins Cold War terms. The past ideology has returned. The famous Russian play The Firebird by Stravinsky features the mythological phoenix. The creature, a bird of fire, burns itself to ashes and emerges

Perella-Savarese 10 reborn in flame. Much like the phoenix, Russia has pushed for rebirth from the ashes of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin, the main instigator of this ideological resurgence, has worked tirelessly over the past decades to restore his dream of a restored Russia. As the last president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, commented in 2009, There is a real danger of new division in the world, the possibility of a new cold war (Ciobanu 156). History is replaying itself. As famous Russian novelist, Boris Akunan, noted, An old, old Soviet story repeating itself (MacFarquhar). The new conflict is different in some aspects, but strikingly identical to that of the past. Through the use of Russian media, Putin has shifted popular sentiment towards his own. The media believes in a restored Russia and Russias population is in full tow. As Russia is engaged abroad with Ukraine, Georgia, military assistance to Assad in Syria, the nuclear program in Iran, ballistic missiles to North Korea, gas pipelines to the EU, and increased tension with NATO, the implications increase daily for the US. The future will be shaped by the present and past. The resurgence of a New Cold War is evident. The Scythe and the Hammer of the USSR flies once more over the battlements of the Kremlin.

Perella-Savarese 11 Works Cited Barry, Ellen. Foes of America in Russia Crave Rupture in Ties. The New York Times. 15 March 2014. Web. Barry, Ellen and Stephen Lee Myers. Putin Reclaims Crimea for Russia and Bitterly Denounces the West. The New York Times. 18 March 2014. Web. Berkes, Howard. Nazi Olympics Tangled Politics and Sport. National Public Radio. 7 June 2008. Web. Ciobanu, Ceslav. Frozen and Forgotten Conflicts in the Post-Soviet Era. Columbia University Press. 2009. Print. Cowell, Alan. Dusting Off the Language of the Cold War. The New York Times. March 27, 2014. Web. Economist, The. 1984 in 2014: A new propaganda war underpins the Kremlins clash with the West. The Economist. 29 March 2014. Web. Freedom House. Russia: Freedom of the Press 2013. Freedom House. 2013. Web. http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedompress/2013/russia#.U0Ixka1dUQQ Gordon, Michael. U.S. Says Russia Tested Missile, Despite Treaty. The New York Times. 30 January 2014. Web. Harper, Stephen. Putin Trapped in A Cold War Mindset: Harper. Canadian Press. 26 March 2014. Web. http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/03/26/stephenharper-says-putin-is-stuck-in-cold-war-as-obama-warns-of-threat-to-worldorder/ Kramer, Stephen. New Report: U.S. Needs Post-Reset Policy on Russia. Freedom House. 6 February 2013. Web. Lucas, Edward. The New Cold War: Putins Russia and the Threat to the West . Palgrave McMillan. 2009. Print. Mackey, Robert. Russia Could Still Turn U.S. Into Radioactive Dust, News Anchor in Moscow Reminds Viewers. The New York Times. 16 March 2014. Web. MacFarquhar, Neil. Call to Artists on Crimea Echoes Soviet Ways. The New York Times. 27 March 2014. Web. McFaul, Michael A. Confronting Putins Russia. The New York Times, March 23, 2014. Web.

Perella-Savarese 12 Myers, Stephen Lee. Putins Olympic Fever Dream. The New York Times. 22 January 2014. Web. Nau, Henry. Perspectives on International Relations. George Washington University, 2012. Print. Obama, Barack. Obama: US United Behind Ukraine. National Post. March 26,2014. Web. http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/03/26/stephen-harper-saysputin-is-stuck-in-cold-war-as-obama-warns-of-threat-to-world-order/ Putin, Vladimir. President Putin's address to Parliament over Crimea. Russia Today. March 19, 2014. http://rt.com/politics/official-word/vladimir-putincrimea-address-658/ Schauble, Wolfgang. German minister compares Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler. The Telegraph. 4 April 2014. Web. Sengupta, Somini. Vote by U.N. General Assembly Isolates Russia. The New York Times. 27 March 2014. Web. Smale, Alison, and Michael Shear. Russia Is Ousted From Group of 8 by U.S. and Allies. The New York Times. 24 March 2012. Web. U.S. National Intelligence Council (NIC). Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds. NIC. 2012. Print. U.S. Department of State. New Start. U.S. Department of State. Updated 27 March 2014. Web. http://www.state.gov/t/avc/newstart/index.htm Yakovenko, Igor. Russian media stir memories of Soviet era in propaganda war. The Financial Times. 4 April 2014. Web.