Key Insights:
In March, Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels employed three distinct but complementary narrative frameworks that attempt to undermine the Baltic nation’s sovereignty and international standing.
The main narratives were:
- Latvia is an irrational aggressor;
- Latvia is Russophobic;
- Latvia is a failed state.
Overview of the Findings:
The most prominent narrative portrayed Latvia as an irrational aggressor irrationally opposed to peace. NATO military exercises scheduled in Latvia were deliberately mischaracterized as preparations for “an offensive deep into Russian territory” rather than defensive readiness operations. Latvian officials faced targeted character attacks, with Foreign Minister Baiba Braze’s security concerns dismissed as “irrational Russophobia” and Defense Minister Andris Spruds mocked for his analysis of Russia’s “salami tactics” in Ukraine.
A second narrative track focuses on the alleged persecution of Russian speakers in Latvia. These channels strategically amplified cherry-picked statements from Latvian public figures to create an impression of systematic discrimination. For example, inflammatory rhetoric from National Alliance politician Liana Langa, comparing Russians to “invasive pest species,” were presented as evidence of growing societal hostility. These channels further stoked division by highlighting isolated incidents, such as Latvians objecting to a football coach speaking Russian, to suggest widespread intolerance toward Russian speakers.
The third persistent theme was portraying Latvia as a failed state. Posts mockingly declared Latvia’s “shameful era of industrialization is behind us,” depicting it as a backwards, underdeveloped rural nation. This narrative extended to absurd conspiracy theories, including claims that “Latvian elites transfer biomaterials of their citizens to NATO biological laboratories” and “steal pensions of Russian citizens.”
These coordinated narratives serve multiple propaganda objectives: delegitimizing Latvia’s sovereignty, portraying its security concerns as paranoid, framing Russian speakers as victims of discrimination, and undermining Latvia’s standing as a Western democracy. This messaging aimed at weakening support for Latvia both domestically and internationally.
Story of the Month:
Latvia: Western Puppet and Aggressive Warmonger
Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels are deploying contradictory narratives about Latvia, simultaneously portraying the Baltic nation as both a Western puppet without agency and an irrational aggressor actively seeking conflict with Russia.
Kremlin-aligned channels consistently depict Latvia and other Baltic states as lacking sovereignty and merely acting as proxies for Western interests. One post in March went as far as describing the Baltics as trained “animals” conditioned by the United States to be hostile toward Russia. This dehumanizing rhetoric extends to historical revisionism, with propagandists drawing false equivalencies between past German rule during the Medieval period, when Latvians were “slaves” to the “ubermensch,” and what they characterize as current Baltic “slavery” to “Anglo-Saxons.” By framing NATO membership as a form of subjugation rather than a sovereign choice, these narratives attempt to strip Latvia of political agency and legitimacy on the international stage.
Similarly, this propaganda also worked to create perceptions of abandonment, claiming “the West does not care about the Baltic States.” A recent narrative twist reframed increased EU defense spending as evidence that Europe is “cutting off funding for the border states” rather than strengthening collective security.
In a striking contradiction, these same channels simultaneously portray Latvia as an irrational aggressor fundamentally opposed to peace. NATO military exercises scheduled in Latvia during March and April were misrepresented as preparation for “an offensive deep into the territory of Russia” and training for “rapid offensive operations” against the Pskov region, distorting defensive readiness exercises into evidence of aggressive intentions.
Latvian officials faced targeted character attacks, with Foreign Minister Baiba Braze’s security concerns dismissed as “irrational Russophobia.” Her statements were misrepresented to suggest she views “the criminal and malicious existence of Russia” as “the root cause of all conflicts in Europe.” Defense Minister Andris Spruds was similarly mocked for his analysis of Russia’s “salami tactics” – the strategy of incrementally reducing Western support to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
These contradictory narratives undermine Latvia’s sovereignty while justifying potential Russian aggression. By portraying Latvians simultaneously as puppets with no agency and as irrational aggressors, the propaganda creates a no-win situation. If Latvia expresses security concerns, it’s labeled as “Russophobic warmongering”; if it cooperates with NATO allies, it’s dismissed as a “Western puppet.” These seemingly contradictory narratives actually work together to delegitimize Baltic sovereignty, create divisions within NATO and the EU, and justify aggressive Russian posturing in the region.
