“Ukraine fatigue in the West”: Russian propaganda constructing a narrative

Among them is one about the West, which is allegedly tired of Ukraine and has lost interest in helping the nation. It is aimed at manipulating both the political landscape and public consciousness, raising doubts about the need for further support and assistance to Ukraine. The Center for Strategic Comminication will cover the messages that are circulated most often to enhance the narrative.

“Europe has grown cold towards Ukraine” This message tries to show that Western countries are allegedly losing interest in Ukraine and are unwilling to continue supporting it. Its dissemination is aimed at reducing international support and estrangement of Ukraine from its Western partners.

“Europe is tired of Ukraine” This is another variation of the narrative of Russian propaganda, which convinces that supporting Ukraine is a burdensome matter. Its purpose is to encourage a decrease in support and attraction of new resources to repel aggression.

“No one is interested in Ukraine anymore” The message is that Ukraine has lost its strategic importance for Western countries and for the international community as a whole. It aims to marginalize Ukraine and reduce attention to its problems and needs.

All these messages construct a holistic narrative about the alleged “Ukraine fatigue in the West” to influence public opinion and change the attitude toward the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. However, the main purpose of such messages is to persuade Western democracies and the international community as a whole to curb support for Ukraine. Such efforts on the part of Russia, unfortunately, yield some results, which can be seen in electoral polls as voters cast ballots for pro-Russian forces.

Example: the recent elections in Slovakia. Eduard Heger, the country’s former prime minister (2021-2023) believes that the outcome of the vote came as a consequence of Russian propaganda influence. Russia also exploits other countries’  own vulnerabilities to destabilize them from within in order to distract governments from supporting Ukraine.

So, as we can see, Russian propaganda is intensively trying to put international support for Ukraine fo a halt. The “Ukraine fatigue in the West” narrative consists of a complex network of messages that raise doubts about the need for and effectiveness of further support toUkraine. These narratives try to divert public attention from the urgent needs of Ukraine’s defense forces in repelling Russia's brutal onslaught.

Center for Strategic Comminication and Information Security