Main narratives:
- Anti-support for Ukraine;
- General anti-government sentiments;
- The incompetence of the current government
Overview:
Throughout this reporting week, Kremlin-aligned media devoted significant attention to the May 9th “Victory Day” commemorations, presenting the event as solemn and ideologically essential. Malign sources not only underscored the day’s historical importance and called for public reverence toward fallen soldiers, but also accused Lithuania of intentionally trying to erase or ignore this part of history.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called the May 9th celebrations in Moscow a “pitiful event.” Kremlin-aligned audiences responded with coordinated backlash, attacking Nausėda personally and labeling him with derogatory terms. This reaction reinforced the narrative that Baltic leaders are disrespectful of history and dismissive of traditions held sacred by many in Russia and Russian-speaking communities.
On social media, one of the most engaged pieces was a post headlined, “They will ban Ukrainian flags”. While the article actually referred to new proposals by a right-wing party in the UK, not Lithuania, pro-Kremlin audience enthusiastically embraced the headline, often without reading further. The sentiment expressed in the comment sections reflected a common disinformation theme: “At least somewhere common sense is returning. Too bad not here in Lithuania.” This narrative misled audiences about domestic policy and positioned Lithuania as ideologically misguided.
These stories were leveraged to further the narrative of cultural decay and “historical amnesia” in the West and its allies. By portraying Lithuanian leadership as dismissive of history and disrespectful of traditions, Kremlin-aligned sources sought to inflame internal divisions, undermine public trust in democratic institutions, and solidify emotional attachment to Russian geopolitical identity.
